TS 


ABNAKEE   RUGS 


BY    HELEN    R.  ALBEE 


ABNAKEE  RUGS 

A  MANUAL  DESCRIBING  THE  ABNAKEE 
INDUSTRY,  THE  METHODS  USED,  WITH 
INSTRUCTIONS  FOR  DYEING. 


BY 


HELEN   R.  ALBEE 


THIRD  EDITION 


CAMBRIDGE 

at  Wqt  fttoersi 
1909 


1 


COPYRIGHT,  1903,  BY  HELEN  R.  ALBEE 
PEC^UAKET,  NEW  HAMPSHIRE 


CONTENTS 


286194 


PAGE 


INTRODUCTION     .  •        •        5 

AN  INDUSTRIAL  EXPERIMENT     .        .  14 

MATERIALS          .  .  .27 

METHODS  OF  WORK    .  .        .      40 

DYE  FORMULAS  ....          54 


ABNAKEE   RUGS 


INTRODUCTION 

THE  industrial  experiment  known  as  the  Abnakee 
Rug  Industry  is  the  result  of  a  chance  interview  held 
in  a  New  York  studio.  The  subject  under  discussion 
was  the  relation  of  the  individual  to  society  at  large, 
and  particularly  the  duty  a  trained  craftsman  owes  to  a 
rural  community,  if  he  has  made  one  his  home.  This 
is  a  question  which  eventually  must  find  more  and 
more  place  in  thoughtful  minds. 

In  the  ebb  and  flow  of  humanity  prosperous  people 
from  the  cities  are  seeking  homes  in  the  country  in 
greater  numbers  than  ever  before,  at  the  same  time 
that  energetic  men  and  women  bred  in  the  country  are 
seeking  their  fortunes  in  the  cities.  It  is  needless  to 
enter  upon  the  problems  resulting  from  this  drift  to  the 
cities.  One  does  not  need  to  be  much  versed  in 
economics  to  know  that  it  means  overcrowded  popu- 
lation, great  numbers  of  the  unemployed,  increasing 
difficulties  for  the  individual  to  get  even  a  foothold, 
save  in  the  most  menial  employments,  and  all  the  at- 
tendant evils  of  close  quarters,  bad  ventilation,  disease, 
increasing  pauperism  and  crime.  When  the  prosperous 
meet  this  surplus  population  in  cities,  they  seldom  get 
beyond  questionable  forms  of  charity  and  philanthropy, 


which,  statistics  go  to  prove,  have  served  rather  to 
increase  the  pauper  spirit,  while  they  have  not  reduced 
disease  and  poverty. 

It  is  to  consider  the  other  side  of  the  question  that 
this  pamplet  is  written.  How  shall  educated  and 
trained  men  and  women,  who  go  into  the  country,  use 
their  influence  to  keep  the  country-bred  youth  at  home  ? 
It  is  obvious  the  most  important  thing  is  to  give  them 
congenial  and  remunerative  employment,  as  it  is  to  seek 
employment  that  they  have  left  their  homes.  A  recent 
investigation  made  by  a  New  England  governor  results 
in  the  significant  statement  that  New  England  cannot 
compete  in  agricultural  products  with  the  great  Western 
states ;  that  she  must  depend  upon  her  commercial  and 
industrial  enterprises,  not  only  in  the  large  cities,  but 
also  that  they  must  be  developed  throughout  the  rural 
communities  if  New  England  is  to  retain  her  population 
and  wealth. 

It  was  a  consideration  of  these  conditions  that  pressed 
home  the  question  of  my  own  personal  responsibility 
to  a  little  community  where  I  had  made  first  a  summer 
home,  later  deciding  to  remain  throughout  the  year. 
Previously  to  going  into  the  country,  I  had  studied  the 
principles  and  application  of  design  to  various  textiles, 
and  had  been  successful  in  disposing  of  them  to  manu- 
facturers. I  had  for  years  worked  in  various  ways 
with  oil,  water,  fresco  and  china  colors,  and  had  given 
a  course  of  talks  on  the  principles  underlying  line, 
form,  and  pattern.  Such  was  my  equipment  when  I 
faced  the  problem  of  finding  some  profitable  employ- 
ment which  the  women  in  the  farmhouses  about  me, 
who  had  many  leisure  hours  at  their  disposal,  could  do 
in  their  own  homes.  That  this  employment  should  be 


of  an  artistic  nature  was  to  my  mind  the  first  requisite ; 
for,  if  there  is  any  one  thing  which  the  average  Ameri- 
can mind  needs,  it  is  an  awakening  of  the  artistic  sense. 
Beauty  of  form  and  color  are  not  a  daily  necessity  with 
us.  As  a  people  we  are  ingenious,  fertile  in  resources 
and  imitative  j  we  are  rapid  in  execution  and  quick- 
witted to  devise  new  conveniences  and  to  meet  new 
conditions  ;  but  for  some  mysterious  reason,  the  artistic 
feeling  which  is  so  evident  in  Oriental,  in  some  Euro- 
pean, and  in  nearly  all  savage  races  is  a  thing  unknown 
to  us  as  a  nation.  In  proof  of  this,  compare  any  dish 
or  bit  of  earthenware  made  by  the  Japanese,  costing  but 
a  few  cents,  with  a  dish  of  like  cost  made  by  an  Ameri- 
can. The  comparison  is  mortifying.  The  Japanese 
has  given  a  beauty,  a  finish,  to  everything  he  touches, 
no  matter  how  insignificant  its  value,  while  our  cheap 
American  productions  in  earthenware,  glassware,  our 
cheap  textiles  and  furniture,  our  moderate  priced  wall 
papers  and  carpets,  —  in  short,  every  sort  of  com- 
modity produced  by  the  common,  average  mind  and 
bought  by  the  common,  average  public  are  tawdry  to 
the  last  degree.  They  are  overloaded  with  meaningless 
ornament,  they  are  for  the  most  part  crude  in  color, 
and  utterly  commonplace  in  conception. 

It  is  hard  to  understand  this  lack  of  taste,  which  is 
well-nigh  universal,  not  only  among  the  working  classes, 
but  among  many  who  have  had  superior  opportunities, 
when  a  fine  instinct  for  form  and  color  is  discernible 
in  many  savage  tribes.  Ruskin,  in  speaking  of  the  fact 
that  semi-civilized  nations  colored  better  than  the 
English,  that  an  Indian  shawl  and  a  China  vase  are 
inimitable,  says,  "It  is  their  glorious  ignorance  of  all 
rules  that  does  it ;  the  pure  and  true  instincts  have 


8 

play  and  do  their  work.  The  moment  we  begin  to 
teach  a  people  any  rules  about  color  and  make  them  do 
this  or  that  we  crush  the  instinct,  generally  for  ever." 
I  doubt  if  art  education  has  had  anything  to  do  with 
America's  lack.  Rather  has  it  been  the  preponderance 
of  our  inventive  genius,  which  is  the  natural  result  of 
an  intelligent  people  meeting  the  stern  requirements  of 
pioneer  life  as  it  has  had  to  be  met  in  every  state  in 
the  Union,  that  has  almost  dried  up  the  sources  of 
music  and  poetry  as  well  as  art,  while  trying  to  minister 
to  pressing  material  needs.  In  our  desire  to  express 
utility  with  economy  we  have  overlaid  any  aesthetic 
tendencies  that  survived  Puritanism.  Whatever  the 
real  cause  may  be,  certain  it  is  that  the  North  American 
Indian,  those  of  Central  and  South  America,  and  the 
South  Sea  Islanders  show  finer  perceptions  in  their 
use  of  simple  ornament  in  textiles,  pottery,  carvings, 
and  weapons  than  do  the  greater  portion  of  America's 
native  population.  Nearly  all  the  best  designers  in 
this  country  are  imported,  and  our  leading  mills  frankly 
and  openly  copy  foreign  designs.  It  is  only  here  and 
there  that  an  American  has  an  original  talent  for 
design,  and  with  all  our  producing  (I  believe  it  is  our 
present  boast  that  we  lead  the  markets  of  the  world), 
we  do  not  reach  that  beauty  in  design  which  is  found 
in  the  cheapest  cotton  fabrics  from  India  and  Japan, 
in  the  silks  of  China  and  Japan,  in  the  brasses  of 
Benares,  in  the  shawls,  carpets,  and  rugs  from  India, 
Turkey,  Persia,  and  Arabia,  in  the  thousand  and  one 
articles  of  merchandise  upon  which  these  older  coun- 
tries impress  their  instinctive  interpretation  of  art 
principles.  Nor  are  these  things  produced  by  artists  in 
the  East,  but  by  the  humble  native  population  working 
at  a  few  cents  a  day. 


It  is  difficult  to  see  how  the  artistic  sense  is  to  be 
awakened  to  such  an  extent  in  us  that  it  will  find  a 
spontaneous,  national  expression ;  but  with  all  our 
lack,  we  have,  as  a  nation,  a  quick  imitative  spirit,  a 
genuine  desire  for  self-cultivation,  an  eagerness  to  ap- 
propriate that  which  appeals  to  us  as  best,  and-  these 
qualities  may,  in  time,  help  us  to  assimilate  the  art  of 
older  countries  and  give  it  a  new  and  fresh  utterance. 
I  believe  many  influences  are  working  to  this  end 
among  us ;  foreign  travel,  international  expositions, 
an  increase  of  art  galleries  and  art  schools,  an  increase 
of  wealth  and  leisure,  which  enable  people  to  cultivate 
and  enjoy  the  aesthetic  side  of  life.  And  not  a  little 
is  being  done  through  the  Arts  and  Crafts  societies  that 
are  springing  up  on  every  side.  These  are  reaching 
out  to  encourage  and  foster  all  kinds  of  handicrafts,  to 
educate  the  public  taste  as  well  as  to  emphasize  the 
intrinsic  value  of  hand-work  if  coupled  with  beauty 
and  honesty,  a  value  which  most  persons  have  quite 
forgotten,  so  universal  are  the  machine-made  things  in 
our  market.  The  exhibitions  of  these  societies  are  dis- 
covering to  the  public  many  modest,  earnest  efforts 
that  have  been  going  on  for  several  years  in  out-of- 
the-way  places  to  establish  industrial  enterprises  that 
are  called,  variously,  village  industries,  farmhouse  in- 
dustries, fireside  industries.  But  they  are  all  one  in 
purpose,  which  is  to  use  the  unemployed  time  and 
labor  of  rural  communities  to  create  some  artistic  pro- 
duct. Some  of  these  industries  produce  embroideries, 
some  wrought  iron  and  illuminated  books,  some  hand- 
woven  textiles  ;  some  are  at  work  on  pottery,  carved 
chests,  leather  and  bead  work,  basketry  and  lace.  All 
sorts  of  commodities  are  represented,  and  the  work 


IO 

• 

generally  is  excellent  in  design  and  workmanship. 
These  exhibitions  have  revealed  the  fact  that  though 
these  enterprises  were  previously  unknown  to  each 
other,  they  were  prompted  by  the  same  impulse  and 
are  unified  by  a  common  aim.  They  are  quite  apart 
from  the  usual  commercial  ventures,  and  each  has  been 
much  influenced  by  the  peculiar  conditions  of  the  place 
where  it  was  started. 

I  would  here  suggest  to  any  one  who  may  desire  to 
join  in  this  industrial  movement  and  find  occupation 
for  people  in  a  certain  locality,  not  to  imitate  any  one 
industry  that  has  proved  successful,  but  rather  to  make 
a  careful  survey  of  the  field  before  choosing  a  handi- 
craft to  be  developed ;  for  a  community  may  have 
natural  skill  in  one  certain  direction  and  show  no  apti- 
tude in  any  other.  In  studying  individuals  one  may 
soon  discern  in  what  direction  the  industrious  ones 
find  expression  through  some  kind  of  hand-work  to 
which  they  are  peculiarly  adapted.  The  work  they 
have  voluntarily  engaged  in  gives  an  excellent  clue  to 
their  natural  capacities.  In  such  instances  it  will  be 
wiser  to  foster  the  native  craft  and  infuse  it  with  artistic 
principles  than  to  begin  work  on  wholly  unfamiliar 
lines. 

There  is,  however,  another  matter  of  importance  to 
consider,  and  that  is  the  question  of  securing  raw  ma- 
terials suitable  for  manufacture  at  a  reasonable  price. 
For  example,  a  prairie  country  is  not  so  well  adapted 
to  the  manufacture  of  ornamental  wood  work,  such  as 
carved  chests,  panels,  pyrography,  etc.,  as  one  where 
native  woods  can  be  procured  in  the  immediate 
vicinity.  Raw  wool  can  be  secured  more  easily  in  a 
grazing  country  than  where  forests  abound.  Pottery 


II 

or  terra-cotta  work  is  better  where  the  native  soil  yields 
the  suitable  clays.  While  these  commodities  can  be 
carried  to  certain  places  which  do  not  produce  them, 
yet  it  involves  an '  industry  in  an  unnecessary  item  of 
express  or  freight  charges,  which  soon  grow  to  be  of 
formidable  size  in  the  cost  of  manufacture. 

In  reviewing  the  situation  in  my  own  neighborhood, 
I  found  that  a  certain  domestic  production  was  made 
in  almost  every  farm-house  —  the  hooked  rug.  As  a 
means  of  using  up  old  clothing  and  converting  it  at 
the  same  time  into  a  warm,  durable  covering  for  the 
floors,  these  rugs  had  long  served  a  useful  purpose. 
But  the  very  fact  that  they  were  made  out  of  odds  and 
ends,  from  materials  that  often  ran  short  before  the 
pattern  was  completed,  of  neutral  color,  which,  while 
suitable  for  wearing  apparel,  yet  lacked  the  warmth 
and  harmony  of  color  necessary  to  a  beautiful  rug  — 
all  these  conditions  contributed  to  make  the  results 
unsatisfactory,  and  are  some  of  the  reasons  why  the 
hooked  rug,  as  seen  all  over  New  England,  Nova  Scotia, 
and  Canada  was  so  rarely  artistic.  Still  another  reason 
was  that  the  only  stamped  patterns  procurable  were  of 
meaningless  design  when  they  were  not  absolutely 
ugly ;  but  they  were  sold  in  every  country  store  and 
were  almost  universally  used.  As  a  result,  generations 
grew  up  with  the  false  idea  that  absurd  scrolls  spring- 
ing from  nothing,  impossible  flowers,  cats  and  dogs, 
blocked  patterns,  were  beautiful  just  because  these 
were  the  only  standards  of  beauty  set  before  their 
eyes.  They  were  wrought  into  rugs  with  such  loving 
care  and  patience  that  both  sentiment  and  common 
custom  gave  them  the  stamp  of  endorsement  as  beauti- 
ful patterns.  What  had  been  made  by  the  mother  was 


12 

treasured  and  admired  by  the  daughter,  and  with  no 
personal  knowledge  of  what  a  fine  rug  was,  as  made  by 
nations  older  and  wiser  in  art  than  were  our  own  Puri- 
tan forefathers,  it  is  small  wonder  that  false  concep- 
tions of  both  form  and  color  became  fast  rooted. 

Yet  these  same  old  hooked  rugs,  with  their  violations 
of  good  taste  in  color  and  design,  contained  all  the 
possibilities  that  have  been  developed  in  a  newer  pro- 
duction, known  to  Arts  and  Crafts  societies  over  the 
country  as  the  Abnakee  rug.  It  only  needed  some  one 
who  had  faith  enough  in  the  humble  hooked  rug  to  put 
into  it  new  material,  one  with  a  knowledge  of  design 
sufficient  to  give  an  original  stamp  to  the  work,  with  an 
eye  for  color  to  secure  harmonious  effects,  and  the 
courage  to  give  the  conviction  form,  to  revolutionize 
the  old  product,  and  place  it  on  a  level  where  its  merits 
and  artistic  worth  should  rank  it  with  many  rugs  of 
foreign  make.  The  Abnakee  rug  has  done  more  than 
merely  to  win  recognition  of  art  critics  and  a  place  in 
various  exhibitions  over  the  country.  While  it  was 
doing  these  two  things,  it  was  also  proclaiming  far  and 
wide  that  as  a  new  handicraft  this  work  could  be  in- 
troduced in  many  places,  and  give  employment  in  rural 
districts  wherever  a  suitable  person  could  be  found  to 
foster  and  direct  the  work.  It  suggested,  too,  that  if 
one  person  had  been  able  to  give  a  distinctive  charac- 
ter to  the  new  form,  other  workers  who  followed  their 
own  ideas  might  develop  still  further  perfections,  each 
one  adding  an  original  touch  to  his  product,  and  in 
time  America  might  show  as  beautiful  and  varied  rugs 
as  Oriental  countries  can  boast. 

But  such  ambitious  aims  were  not  in  my  mind  when 
I  undertook  to  elevate  the  hooked  rug.  I  saw  no 


13 

further  than  a  small  handful  of  people  for  whom  I 
wished  to  find  a  home  employment  during  their  leisure 
hours,  nor  did  I  dream  of  any  further  market  or  wider 
influence  than  I  could  find  right  among  the  colony  of 
summer  people  who  frequent  the  hotels  or  have  cot- 
tages in  my  vicinity.  If  the  influence  of  my  effort  has 
been  extended  through  accounts  in  newspapers  and 
periodicals  to  many  portions  of  the  country,  it  has 
been  wholly  unexpected,  and  has  followed  lines  of 
natural  growth,  and  has  not  been  a  result  of  the  usual 
advertisements.  I  speak  of  this  as  a  proof  of  the  eager 
interest  which  is  manifested  in  any  new  handicraft,  and 
how  ready  the  public  stands  to  welcome  and  encourage 
any  expression  of  individuality  along  novel  lines.  It  is 
to  answer  the  questions  of  endless  correspondents  who 
wish  to  know  something  of  the  details  of  the  Abnakee 
industry  that  I  write  this  brief  account  of  the  work  and 
of  the  methods  used.  While  I  have  been  only  too  will- 
ing to  serve  the  unknown  inquirer,  thinking  perhaps  a 
letter  might  drop  as  a  seed,  such  as  had  been  dropped 
in  my  mind  during  the  conversation  I  mentioned  in 
New  York,  which  grew  into  my  industry,  — yet,  with  all 
my  desire  to  be  of  service,  there  is  a  limit  to  the  time 
and  energy  one  can  spend  on  correspondence ;  hence, 
all  that  I  can  say  is  given  here  as  a  final  word. 


AN   INDUSTRIAL   EXPERIMENT 

THE  first  step  in  the  industry  was  to  procure  ma- 
terials. Nothing  seemed  simpler  than  to  buy  all-wool 
goods  at  moderate  price ;  yet  to  find  the  right  thing 
was  a  problem  that  took  many  months  to  solve.  The 
price  at  retail  was  too  great  to  be  considered,  and  the 
mills  to  which  I  wrote  paid  no  attention  to  my  letters  ; 
nor  was  the  quality  of  any  goods  I  examined  suitable 
for  my  purpose.  I  wanted  a  cheap,  soft  all-wool  flannel 
of  firm  but  open  texture.  I  found  such  a  flannel  was 
the  most  difficult  commodity  in  the  market  to  obtain, 
as  it  has  been  almost  superseded  by  cotton  outing  cloth 
and  part-cotton  flannel ;  and  the  knitted  underwear 
now  so  universally  worn  had  still  further  displaced  the 
use  of  cheap  flannels.  So  for  months  I  pursued  a 
weary  search  for  an  honest  material  that  I  could  afford 
to  buy.  Having  no  precedent  for  the  establishment  of 
such  an  enterprise  as  I  had  in  mind,  I  worked  it  all  out 
theoretically.  I  determined  to  buy  a  quantity  of  cloth 
at  wholesale,  and  distribute  it  to  the  women  at  cost 
price,  for  which  they  should  pay  me  when  I  had  dis- 
posed of  their  work.  I  expected  to  give  gratuitously  a 
year  or  more  of  time  to  furnishing  them  with  designs, 
in  advising  with  them  about  colors  to  be  used,  in  direct- 
ing the  work  generally ;  at  the  same  time  letting  the 
individual  have  free  scope  for  her  own  original  ideas. 
As  I  could  not  afford  to  advance  materials  and  buy  the 
product  too,  I  planned  to  take  their  work  when  fin- 


ished,  pledging  myself  to  find  a  market  for  it  among  my 
friends,  and  in  that  happy  event  I  should  pay  them  for 
their  work,  and  get  the  money  back  for  the  flannel  I 
had  advanced.  Then  I  should  reinvest  in  more  flannel 
and  we  should  all  start  again ;  and  after  I  had  worked 
them  along  until  they  had  confidence  in  themselves,  I 
should  drop  out  and  let  them  carry  it  alone.  It  was  a 
delightful  scheme  as  I  pictured  it,  an  ardent  enthusiast 
on  the  one  hand,  and  a  small  population  with  much 
leisure  and  no  opportunity  to  get  employment  on  the 
other ;  nothing  seemed  easier  than  to  fuse  them  into  a 
successful  whole. 

As  I  had  almost  no  money  to  embark  in  the  scheme, 
little  else  than  my  years  of  artistic  training  and  a  great 
desire  to  serve  others,  and  as  I  expected  no  personal 
profit  from  the  enterprise,  I  fancied  those  whom  I 
wished  to  benefit  would  be  willing  to  meet  me  half 
way ;  but  it  was  soon  evident  that  I  had  entirely  mis- 
taken the  situation.  Without  exception  the  native  in- 
habitants listened  with  apparent  interest  as  I  unfolded 
my  plans  to  them,  but  they  would  commit  themselves 
to  nothing.  I  did  not  understand  their  indifference, 
and  grew  more  zealous  in  my  efforts.  By  this  time  I 
had  found  a  flannel  such  as  I  wanted,  and  began  to 
make  several  rugs  after  my  own  designs,  thinking  this 
would  prove  the  sincerity  of  my  purpose,  as  well  as 
show  them  the  character  of  the  work  as  I  planned  to 
have  it  done.  I  was  still  met  with  an  impenetrable 
reserve  that  could  not  be  aroused  into  enthusiasm.  It 
was  several  months  before  I  chanced  to  learn  the  dis- 
mal truth. 

My  simple  conventional  designs  had  not  met  with 
approval.  I  did  not  use  bright  colors ;  I  wove  no  vines, 


i6 

no  flowers  into  my  rugs  ;  no  cats  nor  puppy  dogs  re- 
posed on  parti-colored  foliage  —  in  other  words,  I  had 
not  reached  the  standard  of  the  native  taste.  Further, 
they  had  never  been  able  to  sell  their  rugs,  and  it  was 
not  likely  that  mine,  which  were  to  their  eyes  less 
beautiful  than  their  own,  could  be  sold,  and  they  had 
grave  doubts  if  they  should  ever  get  the  money  for 
the  work  if  it  were  advanced.  In  short,  I  had  been 
weighed  in  the  public  balance  and  had  been  found 
wholly  wanting.  I  confess  this  news  was  very  depress- 
ing, and  several  days  of  melancholy  reflection  were 
devoted  to  it.  Then  it  occurred  to  me  to  submit  the 
question  to  a  bold  test  by  presenting  it  to  the  buying 
public  in  an  exhibition  in  the  village  hall.  If  I  could 
once  prove  to  the  native  mind  that  the  summer  col- 
onists appreciated  the  work  enough  to  buy  it,  I  might 
hope  to  win  the  former  to  a  reluctant  confidence  in  my 
plan. 

I  worked  industriously  and  made  about  half  a  dozen 
rugs  of  various  patterns  in  dull  shades  of  terra-cotta, 
old  rose,  yellow,  olive,  rich  dark  blue,  and  cream  color, 
to  which  I  added  as  many  more  made  by  a  young  girl, 
my  only  convert.  This  simple  statement  gives  no  hint 
of  the  labors  those  first  rugs  cost  me.  The  native  peo- 
ple were  really  justified  in  their  skepticism  of  me  ;  for, 
at  the  time  I  began  an  effort  to  win  them  over  to  my 
views,  I  had  never  seen  a  rug  hooked  nor  a  yard  of 
goods  dyed ;  nor  did  I  know  anything  of  either  until  I 
began  to  make  my  own  experiments.  It  was  because 
I  knew  nothing  of  the  usual  methods  of  rug-hooking 
that  my  own  were  so  different  in  texture  and  finish 
from  others.  It  was  a  great  advantage  to  work  free 
from  traditional  influences,  for  I  was  thus  enabled  to 


set  a  new  standard.  But  the  weary  days  spent  on  my 
experiments  in  dyeing  !  It  is  not  profitable  to  dwell 
upon  the  many  failures,  nor  the  quantities  of  flannel 
that  came  out  every  color  save  the  one  I  strove  for, 
nor  the  days  of  discouragement  when  I  was  at  the  point 
of  throwing  the  whole  scheme  over,  particularly  when  I 
realized  that  those  whom  I  wished  to  aid  did  not  care 
for  my  help.  Nothing  but  pride  saved  me  from  com- 
plete fiasco.  I  could  not  and  would  not  confess,  after 
spending  more  than  a  year  of  time,  during  which  I  had 
used  my  utmost  knowledge,  that  I  had  failed  miserably. 
So  I  struggled  on,  studying  probable  causes  for  evident 
results,  gradually  learning  the  necessity  of  keeping  an 
exact  record  of  every  procedure  and  of  all  proportions 
of  dye  used,  accompanied  by  a  sample  of  the  color 
each  formula  produced.  Often  I  came  to  a  snarl  that 
refused  to  be  unravelled,  and  all  I  could  do  was  to 
wait  —  just  wait  until  kind  fortune  should  send  me 
some  adviser  who  usually  cut  the  Gordian  knot  in  sim- 
ple direct  fashion.  I  must  here  acknowledge  my  great 
indebtedness  to  many  friends,  who  by  advice  or  in- 
fluence assisted  me  to  information,  —  to  books,  to  the 
proper  market  where  materials  could  be  bought,  to 
many  things  which  I  should  never  have  found  unaided. 
It  is  to  save  others  from  going  through  all  the  trials 
and  difficulties  that  attend  pioneer  work  that  I  have 
decided  to  give  this  complete  summary  of  my  labors 
and  methods  to  the  public.  To  my  mind  it  is  a  sheer 
waste  of  human  energy  for  each  person  to  struggle 
single-handed  with  the  problems  that  necessarily  arise 
in  any  industrial  experiment,  and  the  more  valuable  the 
new  craft  is,  the  more  ready  should  the  early  workers 
be  to  smooth  the  way  for  the  later  ones.  It  is  not 


i8 

necessary  for  each  one  in  turn  to  learn  the  same 
painful  lessons  ;  each  should  place  his  experience  and 
knowledge  as  a  stepping  stone  for  others.  Then  only 
can  we  expect  real  progress,  for  no  time  should  be 
wasted  in  beating  down  the  same  old  useless  barriers, 
when  the  fresh  energies  may  be  better  spent  upon 
directing  the  work  intelligently  upon  new  lines. 

Clear  as  the  steps  now  look  in  the  light  of  experience, 
at  that  time  everything  was  uncertain  and  the  way  dark. 
I  secured  the  use  of  the  village  hall,  and  to  make  up  for 
the  small  number  of  my  exhibits  I  made  lavish  use  of 
vines,  flowers  and  evergreens  as  decorations.  It  was 
with  much  trepidation  that  I  thus  challenged  the  double 
uncertainty  of  pleasing  the  taste  of  a  capricious  public 
and  of  overcoming  the  native  prejudices. 

The  little  hall  was  crowded;  city  and  country  folk 
came  alike,  and  the  success  of  the  enterprise  was 
assured  from  that  hour.  Every  rug  that  was  for  sale 
was  sold,  and  many  orders  for  duplicates  were  received. 
Much  as  I  had  dreamed  and  hoped  of  the  work,  I  was 
not  prepared  for  the  instant  recognition  accorded  to 
the  rugs.  Those  I  had  made  for  my  own  use,  which  I 
had  not  offered  for  sale,  proved  to  be  of  the  greatest 
value  to  me.  By  keeping  strict  account  of  the  material 
I  had  used,  I  discovered  how  much  cloth  it  took  to 
cover  a  square  foot  of  rug,  also  what  proportions  of  the 
various  colors  were  required  for  each  pattern.  I  also  had 
them  at  hand  to  explain  to  workers,  who  now  offered 
themselves  in  great  numbers,  the  texture  I  wished  to 
have  them  secure,  how  high  the  loops  were  to  be  drawn, 
and  how  much  they  were  to  be  clipped.  In  some  cases 
I  loaned  them,  where  I  wished  an  exact  duplicate  to  be 
made.  They  were  of  still  greater  service  in  helping  me 


'9 

to  estimate  how  many  hours  of  skilled  labor  went  into 
the  execution  of  each  pattern,  thus  enabling  me  to  fix  a 
price  to  pay  the  worker,  and  also  the  selling  price.  I 
found  these  two  points  very  difficult  to  estimate,  as 
there  was  no  precedent  for  either.  I  wished  to  pay  the 
worker  as  high  a  price  as  was  compatible  with  the 
permanent  interests  of  the  industry,  and  to  sell  the 
product  as  reasonably  as  possible.  Patterns  were  de- 
ceptive, some  simple  effects  were  quite  as  tedious  as 
some  of  the  more  elaborate  ones,  but  by  keeping  a 
careful  account  of  hours  required  to  complete  each 
new  pattern  I  was  able  to  establish  a  scale  of  prices 
that  seemed  just.  So  valuable  were  these  experimental 
rugs,  that  I  have  made  it  a  custom  to  finish  for  my  own 
personal  use  an  example  of  each  new  design  that  I  have 
since  added  to  the  industry.  From  these  I  have  secured 
orders,  and  have  them  at  hand  to  send  to  exhibitions 
at  short  notice.  As  years  go  by  they  prove,  too,  how 
the  colors  and  texture  stand  wear  and  tear.  It  is  with 
pleasure  I  note  that  these  examples  are  growing  more 
beautiful  with  age,  acquiring  more  of  a  sheen. 

From  the  day  of  my  first  exhibition  I  saw  the  neces- 
sity of  reorganizing  all  my  former  plans.  The  first 
thing  I  relinquished  was  the  hope  of  individuals  working 
independently.  I  had  expected  to  find  fertility  of  re- 
sources and  imagination  among  them,  and  it  was  with 
the  utmost  reluctance  that  I  abandoned  the  community 
idea,  with  the  freedom  and  independence  that  it  means 
to  the  worker.  So  far  from  having  any  original  ideas 
of  their  own,  I  found  it  difficult  to  get  a  number  of 
workers  to  carry  out  mine  successfully,  and  I  saw  daily 
the  growing  necessity  of  one  person  assuming  full 
control.  I  saw,  where  I  had  intended  to  play  with  the 


2O 

management  for  a  year  and  then  withdraw,  leaving 
workers  equipped  to  carry  out  their  own  conceptions, 
and  to  fill  orders  that  might  come,  that  I  had  become 
hopelessly  involved  with  the  fortunes  of  the  budding 
industry,  and  that  a  retreat  on  my  part  would  be  fatal 
to  its  interests.  Who  could  fill  orders  for  duplicates 
save  the  one  who  had  planned  the  originals?  Who 
could  guarantee  a  uniform  product  unless  one  per- 
son stood  ready  to  train  workers  and  maintain  the 
standard  ?  I  was  appalled  by  the  responsibilities  I 
had  quite  unwittingly  made  for  myself,  yet  was  unwill- 
ing to  retreat  and  declare  the  plan  a  failure.  From 
that  day  I  assumed  the  charge  of  every  detail ;  I 
furnished  all  materials,  designed  patterns,  cut  stencils, 
stamped  burlaps,  dyed  goods,  arranged  color  schemes, 
trained  workers,  secured  a  market,  addressed  corre- 
spondents, arranged  exhibitions,  furnished  accounts  of 
the  work  to  numerous  inquirers,  ranging  from  members 
of  women's  clubs  to  contributors  of  various  periodicals, 
and  lastly,  though  it  was  the  first  thing  required,  I 
furnished  the  capital  and  met  all  expenses  as  they 
arose.  I  do  not  seem  to  have  a  very  clear  idea  just 
how  the  finances  were  managed,  for  though  I  had  no 
capital  to  start  with  I  always  paid  cash  ;  I  did  not 
borrow ;  I  was  always  hoping  to  get  something  ahead 
to  meet  the  increasing  demands  for  more  outlay.  To 
save  money  I  had  to  buy  in  wholesale  quantities,  but 
as  fast  as  I  added  to  my  little  hoard  of  money,  it 
melted  into  dyes,  burlaps,  tags,  pressboard,  wrapping 
paper,  mordants,  flannel  and  —  more  flannel.  I  was 
chronically  out  of  flannel  until  I  quite  involved  my 
bank  account  by  pledging  myself  to  take  forty  bolts  in 
order  to  secure  a  certain  quality,  which  otherwise 


21 

would  have  been  dyed  scarlet  and  blue  and  lost  en- 
tirely to  my  purposes.  It  was  a  long  time  before  I  got 
squarely  on  my  feet,  with  a  little  surplus  ahead  to  com- 
fort me  when  some  unusual  drain  was  made  upon  my 
purse. 

From  the  day  of  my  exhibition  I  hired  the  worker 
outright,  and  paid  for  the  work  when  it  was  delivered 
to  me.  I  prepared  all  materials  myself,  which  the 
worker  took  home,  spending  what  time  she  could  each 
day  upon  her  rug.  The  price  paid  was  so  much  per 
square  foot,  according  to  the  intricacy  of  the  pattern, 
and  in  consequence  the  workers  varied  much  in  what 
they  earned,  as  some  busy  housewives  could  spare  fewer 
hours  than  others  less  employed  with  household  duties. 
Prices  were  gauged  upon  the  basis  of  a  skilled  worker 
receiving  $1.50  a  day,  if  she  were  able  to  put  in  a  full 
day.  Though  no  one  gave  undivided  time  to  the  work, 
several  were  able  to  make  $1.00  a  day  and  do  the 
housework  of  a  family  besides.  Some  were  more  dex- 
terous than  others,  and  earned  accordingly.  Whether 
the  worker  was  rapid  or  slow,  whether  she  was  lavish 
and  had  to  be  checked  from  squandering  the  cloth,  or 
was  parsimonious  and  used  it  too  sparingly,  was  merely 
a  matter  of  temperament.  When  you  combine  temper- 
ament with  inexperience,  it  takes  much  patience  and 
ceaseless  supervision  to  bring  a  number  of  workers  into 
line  and  secure  uniform  results.  But  it  can  be  done, 
and  no  one  is  prouder  than  the  individual  worker  her- 
self to  see  that  her  work  compares  favorably  with  the 
best.  In  every  way  I  have  sought  to  stimulate  a  per- 
sonal pride  and  sense  of  responsibility  and  a  desire  to 
reach  as  high  a  degree  of  perfection  as  possible.  I 
have  striven  to  impress  the  fact,  as  each  rug  goes  out 


22 

with  our  label  on  it,  that  it  carries  with  it  and  stakes 
the  reputation  of  the  industry.  To  bring  this  home  as 
a  personal  matter  to  each  worker,  she  is  asked  to  work 
her  initials  on  the  under  edge  of  her  rug,  thus  placing 
the  responsibility  where  it  belongs,  —  upon  the  indi- 
vidual. 

In  order  that  they  might  be  identified  in  the  market, 
I  have  adopted  an  Indian  name  for  the  rugs,  Abnakee, 
an  arbitrary  spelling  of  the  name  of  the  Abnaqui 
Indians,  who  constituted  a  great  tribe  including  the 
lesser  tribes  of  Maine  and  New  Hampshire,  among 
whom  were  the  Pequaket  Indians.  Thus  in  a  way  the 
name  is  identified  with  the  place  where  the  industry 
was  established,  Pequaket,  New  Hampshire. 

The  Abnakee  Rug  appears  upon  a  woven  silk  label 
which  is  sewn  upon  every  rug  as  a  guarantee  of  the 
genuiness  of  its  manufacture.  It  includes  as  a  trade- 
mark the  totem  or  cipher  of  one  of  the  Indian  chiefs, 
Kirebenuit,  who  signed  a  treaty  between  the  English 
and  Abnaqui  Indians.  I  think  it  is  a  decided  advan- 
tage for  each  industry  to  adopt  some  characteristic 
name  and  mark  by  which  the  public  may  know  its 
work. 

Regarding  the  industry  as  it  now  stands  to-day,  more 
than  six  years  after  I  began  my  first  groping  efforts, 
I  can  say  it  has  grown  beyond  the  experimental  period. 
The  work  has  extended  from  floor  rugs  to  wall  rugs, 
including  jeweled  effects  and  coats  of  arms.  It  also 
includes  chair  covers,  cushion  and  couch  covers.  There 
are  also  various  practical  ways  that  this  method  can  be 
carried  into  portieres.  No  one  who  knows  anything 
about  the  old  hooked  rugs  needs  to  be  told  that  they 
are  durable.  I  have  seen  some  over  thirty  years  old,  — 


23 

and  still  good.  Made  from  the  best  materials  procur- 
able, instead  of  old  rags,  the  Abnakee  should,  with 
proper  care,  outlast  even  these. 

I  have  a  great  desire  that  others  should  develop  a 
similar  industry  elsewhere,  and  in  such  an  event  one 
suggestion  may  be  of  value.  Two  conditions  are 
necessary  for  the  success  of  an  industry  :  workers  who 
can  afford  to  work  at  a  moderate  wage  (for  hand-work 
is  slow  and  cannot  compete  in  price  with  commodities 
ground  out  by  machinery),  and  a  public  who  can  afford 
to  buy  at  fair  prices  the  work  produced.  These  two 
conditions  are  best  found  in  some  of  the  small  but 
popular  summer  resorts  among  our  mountains  or  lakes, 
or  by  the  sea-coast.  Through  annual  exhibitions  the 
work  can  be  brought  to  public  notice  and  readily  dis- 
posed of ;  the  summer  visitor  in  returning  to  his  home 
carries  back  not  only  the  news  of  the  enterprise  but  an 
example  of  the  work.  If  the  product  has  artistic  merit 
and  integrity,  it  will  be  only  a  question  of  time  until  a 
regular  market  is  established. 

There  is  one  other  way  that  an  industry  may  be 
started,  and  it  matters  not  what  article  is  chosen  for 
manufacture,  it  will  probably  be  the  same  in  its 
methods.  Suppose  a  rich  man  or  woman  wishes  to 
make  a  memorial  gift  to  the  native  village  from  which 
he  sprang.  Instead  of  bestowing  a  library,  a  museum, 
a  hospital,  or  a  statue,  which  doubtless  minister  to 
the  public  good  with  the  least  possible  responsibility 
to  the  donor  after  he  has  once  made  the  gift,  let  us 
presume  he  makes  a  study  of  the  industrial  conditions 
of  that  village,  and  after  deciding  what  the  young  men 
and  women  are  best  qualified  to  do,  he  employs  a 
trained  artist  in  that  particular  branch  and  places  him 


24 

in  charge  of  the  new  industry  which  he  wishes  to  be 
fostered.  This  manager  would  train  the  workers  and 
devise  fresh  original  ways  in  which  the  new  handicraft 
could  be  developed.  The  patron  should  provide  the 
instructor,  also  the  materials,  and  give  the  work  full 
equipment.  He  should  keep  an  eye  to  the  financial 
side  so  that  the  industry  should  be  self-supporting,  and 
not  add  to  the  many  philanthropies  that  are  little  less 
than  demoralizing  alms-giving.  As  a  man  of  means  and 
influence  he  could  command  a  market  for  the  product, 
and  place  the  enterprise  upon  a  permanent  basis.  With 
small  capital  involved  he  could  reach  a  multitude  of 
young,  ambitious  people,  giving  them  congenial  em- 
ployment, and  as  far  as  his  small  village  was  concerned, 
stem  the  exodus  to  cities. 

Should  he  wish  to  enlarge  the  scope  of  work,  he 
could  advance  individuals  as  fast  as  they  proved  worthy, 
allowing  them  to  purchase  shares  in  the  business,  and 
thus  make  it  cooperative ;  or,  he  might,  when  he  found 
one  especially  efficient,  give  him  a  special  artistic  train- 
ing that  would  qualify  him  to  take  charge  of  a  like  in- 
dustry elsewhere.  Should  the  opportunity  to  direct 
such  industrial  enterprises  be  offered  to  students  in 
schools  of  design,  many  would  fit  themselves  in  special 
lines  of  work  and  stand  ready  to  take  positions  as  they 
presented  themselves.  Such  work  would  offer  especial 
attractions  to  original  minds,  for  they  would  have  great 
freedom  in  carrying  out  their  own  ideas  and  at  the 
same  time  make  a  dignified  place  for  themselves  in  the 
industrial  world.  In  such  careers  many  students  could 
make  a  far  nobler  name  for  themselves  than  if  they 
were  added  to  the  long  roll  of  ineffectual  artists  who 
never  achieve  distinction  in  pictoral  art. 


25 

There  is  no  limit  to  the  things  that  a  wise  benefactor 
could  do  with  a  community  when  he  had  once  gained 
its  confidence  and  loyalty.  The  services  of  a  land- 
scape gardener  could  be  secured,  who  would  by  lectures, 
illustrations,  and  personal  advice  help  to  beautify  the 
village  homes.  To  stimulate  personal  responsibility, 
annual  prizes  could  be  offered  to  those  who  made  their 
premises  most  attractive  with  flowers  and  shrubbery. 
Public  addresses  on  hygiene,  diet,  popular  science,  etc., 
could  be  added.  One  might  play  the  patron  saint  to  a 
whole  village  full  of  people,  and,  by  addressing  them  on 
the  artistic  and  aesthetic  side,  remove  his  benefactions 
from  any  stigma  of  charity,  and  at  the  same  time  min- 
ister to  the  public  needs  in  the  most  practical  way.  I 
question  which  would  be  helped  and  broadened  the 
most,  —  he  who  studied  how  to  bestow  his  manifold 
gifts  wisely,  or  those  who  received  his  benefits. 

Crotina,  a  small  inland  village  in  southern  Austria, 
is  an  illustrious  example  of  what  a  determined  spirit 
can  do  to  regenerate  a  village.  As  it  was  remote  from 
any  thoroughfare,  and  the  soil  unsuited  to  agriculture, 
the  native  peasantry  had  remained,  even  into  this  cen- 
tury, a  brutish,  ignorant  people.  But  an  Englishman 
chanced  to  make  his  residence  in  the  place,  and,  hav- 
ing come  from  India,  where  all  sorts  of  beautiful  hand- 
work are  made  in  every  village,  it  distressed  him  to  see 
the  stolid,  degraded  condition  of  the  Crotina  natives. 
He  selected  several  of  the  more  promising  ones,  and 
began  to  teach  them  the  rudiments  of  art,  and  also 
started  them  in  certain  handicrafts.  So  successful  was 
he  at  length  that  he  enlisted  the  aid  of  the  govern- 
ment, which  established  an  art  school  and  supplied  it 
with  instructors.  The  work  that  these  peasant  fingers 


26 

made  without  any  hereditary  training  behind  them  was 
so  beautiful,  that  later  on  the  government  established 
and  maintained  a  large  wareroom  in  connection  with 
the  school.  Graduates  from  the  school  had  the  privi- 
lege of  submitting  their  work  for  exhibition,  and  if  it 
met  with  the  standards  required,  it  was  placed  on  sale, 
ten  per  cent,  of  the  price  being  retained  if  it  were  sold. 
This  small  commission  helps  to  maintain  the  running 
expenses  of  the  wareroom.  I  am  told  by  those  who 
have  visited  this  wareroom  that  the  work  in  carved 
chests,  pottery,  wrought  iron,  burnt  wood,  and  metal 
work  is  very  fine.  I  saw  a  jewel  case  of  exquisite 
workmanship  in  niello,  and  it  was  incredible  that  it 
could  have  been  executed  by  rude  peasant  hands.  This 
village  is  becoming  far-famed  for  its  artistic  produc- 
tions, and  though  the  name  of  the  English  founder  is 
usually  forgotten  when  the  village  is  described,  the 
handicrafts  that  flourish  there  are  a  living  monument 
to  his  genius.  Certainly  of  him  it  could  be  said  in  the 
words  of  an  English  Jesuit  priest:  "It  is  wonderful 
how  much  good  a  man  may  do  in  this  world  if  he  does 
not  care  who  gets  the  credit  of  it." 


MATERIALS 

THE   FRAME 

THE  first  thing  which  was  revolutionized  in  our 
method  of  hooking  rugs  was  the  frame  used.  Usually 
the  frame  was  large,  cumbersome,  and  of  a  size  that 
required  a  strained  position,  which  was  not  only  ex- 
hausting to  the  worker  but  often  painful.  The  frame 
I  adopted,  and  have  all  my  workers  use,  is  light,  firm, 
and  adjustable.  It  is  made  of  soft  wood,  and  consists 
of  four  pieces ;  two  of  them  are  two  inches  wide,  an 
inch  thick  and  four  feet  long,  with  a  row  of  half  inch 
auger  holes  bored  at  equal  distances,  about  three  inches 
apart,  down  the  middle  of  both  ends  of  each  piece  (see 
illustration  No.  i).  The  other  two  are  cross-pieces 
seventeen  inches  long  with  a  fixed  peg  an  inch  and  a 
half  from  each  end.  These  pegs  should  be  of  such 
a  size  as  to  slip  easily  into  the  auger  holes  of  the  other 
pieces,  thus  making  an  adjustable  rectangular  frame. 
To  keep  the  frame  true  and  well  squared,  it  is  advisa- 
ble to  have  a  piece  twelve  inches  long  nailed  on  each  of 
the  cross  bars,  and  accurately  fitted  so  as  to  come  out 
flush  against  the  lengthwise  pieces  when  the  frame  is 
put  together.  This  makes  a  strong  brace  to  the  corners. 
A  wooden  button  is  screwed  on  within  half  an  inch  of 
each  end  of  these  top  braces.  When  the  frame  is 
put  together,  the  button  is  turned  so  as  to  cover  the 
pegs,  thus  holding  the  latter  securely  in  the  holes  (see 


No.l 


1 

1 

i 

r 

_u« 

-r 

r 

o  ol 

0 


29 

illustration  No.  2).  When  in  place  the  four  pieces  make 
a  frame  that  can  take  a  rug  any  width  from  twelve 
inches  up  to  four  feet. 

THE  HOOK 

The  choice  of  a  hook  is  very  important,  for  if  too 
small  it  will  not  catch  the  cloth  readily,  and  if  too 
large,  it  injures  the  burlap  as  it  is  thrust  through.  If 
the  handle  is  too  small  the  hand  is  cramped  in  holding 
it,  and  if  too  large  it  is  clumsy  and  retards  the  worker. 
The  best  hook  is  about  five  inches  long,  the  handle 
representing  half  the  length,  and  can  be  made  of  a 
forty  penny  nail  (about  a  quarter  of  an  inch  thick), 
filed  and  smoothed  into  shape  at  the  end,  and  given  a 
slight  curve  which  enables  the  user  to  hold  the  hook 
almost  horizontally,  and  yet  the  point  pierces  the  bur- 
lap vertically  (see  illustration  No.  3.) 

THE   CLOTH 

After  experimenting  with  at  least  a  dozen  kinds  of 
fabric,  I  found  a  certain  grade  of  all  wool  unbleached 
flannel  twill  the  best  possible  material  for  my  use. 
There  is  a  great  difference  in  flannel  twills.  If  a  trifle 
too  heavy  in  weight  the  flannel  is  not  pliable,  and 
works  thick,  as  well  as  being  difficult  to  cut  into  strips 
and  to  shear  ;  whereas,  if  too  light  it  requires  twice  as 
much  cloth  to  fill  the  same  space,  thus  entailing  almost 
twice  the  labor  on  the  part  of  the  worker,  with  no  ad- 
vantage gained.  The  weight  I  find  best  is  3^  oz.  to 
the  yard.  This  fills  rapidly,  and  when  sheared  the 
threads  of  the  twill  unravel  a  trifle  and  produce  a  vel- 
vety surface.  To  take  the  dye  well,  flannel  must  be 


3° 

all  wool,  and  to  test  its  quality,  take  a  thread  from  both 
the  warp  and  woof,  and  burn  each  separately.  If  the 
thread  burns  quickly,  leaving  no  ash  nor  odor  behind,  it 
is  cotton.  If  it  leaves  a  little  crisp  as  it  burns,  with  a 
strong  smell  of  burnt  wool,  one  may  be  sure  that  it  is 
woolen  material.  Even  a  small  admixture  of  cotton 
will  show  in  the  dyeing  and  fade  out  as  the  rug  is  used. 
Great  care  should  be  used  to  get  a  reliable  grade.  It 
is  necessary  to  get  flannel  before  it  has  been  submitted 
to  the  bleaching  process,  as  sulphur  affects  the  dye,  and 
it  should  not  be  exposed  to  the  hot  press  finish.  I 
found  it  impossible  to  get  a  flannel  prepared  for  the 
retail  trade  which  met  all  these  conditions,  so  at  length 
I  had  it  direct  from  the  mills,  made  to  suit  my  special 
needs.  Of  the  quality  I  describe  it  requires  from  one 
and  a  quarter  to  one  and  a  half  yards  to  work  each 
square  foot  of  given  rug.  Workers  vary  much  in  the 
amount  they  use,  as  some  work  more  openly,  others  too 
closely;  but  they  should  be  brought  to  a  uniform  tex- 
ture, otherwise,  one's  rug  will  be  thick,  another's  light 
weight. 

It  has  been  urged  by  some  that  yarn  can  be  used  to 
advantage  than  strips  of  cloth  in  making  hooked 
rugs.  I  investigated  yarn,  and  these  are  some  of  the 
objections  that  were  conclusive  to  my  mind.  Using 
the  same  weight  of  wool  in  yarn  and  in  strips  of  cloth, 
the  yarn  covered  only  five-eighths  as  much  surface  as 
the  strips  did.  Again,  using  the  heaviest  yarn  I  could 
get,  it  had  to  be  doubled  and  then  trebled  in  the 
strands  in  order  to  make  it  thick  enough  to  hold  in  the 
mesh  of  the  burlap,  and  this  doubling  process  made  it 
so  difficult  to  catch  with  the  hook  that  it  took  three 
times  as  long  to  hook  a  square  foot  as  it  did  to  use  the 


woolen  strips.  As  labor  represents  a  larger  item  of 
cost  in  the  making  of  a  rug  than  the  materials,  one  can 
see,  if  the  quantity  of  materials  required  almost  doubled 
and  the  price  of  labor  increased  threefold,  what  the 
financial  result  would  be.  The  question  has  also  been 
raised  if  one  ought  not  to  use  material  at  first  hand 
and  not  after  it  has  passed  through  the  manufacturer's 
hands.  I  answer  emphatically,  no  —  if  thereby  a 
greater  cost  and  less  value  is  involved.  Though  an 
industry  may  be  founded  upon  sentiment,  this  very 
sentiment  for  hand  labor  may  become  a  snare  and  a 
hindrance  if  pushed  too  far  •  and  this  matter  of  using 
homespun  yarn  in  order  to  say  that  all  the  materials 
used  are  hand-made  and  furnished  right  in  the  vicinity 
offers  an  excellent  example  of  the  point  in  question. 
Suppose  in  the  farm-houses  about  me  I  had  my  yarn 
spun  by  hand.  To  get  the  proper  thickness,  if  hand- 
spun  it  would  require  the  expensive  and  very  tedious 
process  of  two  extra  doublings  and  twistings,  increas- 
ing the  actual  cost  per  pound  more  than  twofold  the 
price  of  my  present  material.  The  other  alternative 
would  be  to  have  it  manufactured  specially,  as  at 
present  the  market  does  not  furnish  it  sufficiently 
thick.  This  would  require  purchasing  in  large  quanti- 
ties, as  special  machinery  would  have  to  be  used.  To 
add  further  to  the  difficulties,  when  the  yarn  is  finally 
hooked  and  carefully  sheared,  if  the  pile  is  left  long 
enough  to  hold  firmly  in  the  burlap,  the  surface,  after 
a  little  wear,  mats  down  and  looks  shabby;  and  if 
sheared  short  as  a  velvet  carpet,  the  loops  do  not  hold. 
Such  has  been  the  experience  of  my  neighbors,  who 
many  years  ago  experimented  with  their  own  yarn  and 
finally  abandoned  its  use  altogether.  It  is  a  very 


32 

different  matter,  when  a  flat,  narrow  strip  of  cloth  is 
pinched  into  a  small  hole  and  springs  full  width  out 
from  it,  and  is  held  fast  in  place  on  all  sides  by  others 
crowded  close  to  it,  from  a  round  strand  of  yarn  that 
cannot  be  pinched  in  but  must  fill  the  space  sufficiently 
to  be  held  in  firmly.  So  from  the  point  of  cost  of 
material,  the  extra  amount  necessary  per  square  foot 
and  the  extra  time  consumed  in  working  it,  to  say 
nothing  of  its  being  unsatisfactory  in  wear,  I  found  the 
yarn  prohibitive.  I  am  speaking  now  only  of  the  use 
of  yarn  in  the  process  of  making  a  hooked  rug,  and 
have  no  reference  to  its  use  when  woven  or  knotted 
into  the  warp  as  in  Oriental  rugs. 


THE   CUTTING 

After  the  material  is  dyed,  it  is  divided  into  yard 
lengths  as  being  the  most  convenient  length  for  reasons 
that  I  shall  explain  latter.  It  is  then  cut  into  straight 
narrow  strips  about  a  quarter  of  an  inch  in  width,  on 
the  lengthwise  —  never  on  the  crosswise  —  of  the  goods. 
A  safe  rule  is  to  cut  as  narrow  strips  as  the  goods  will 
allow,  at  the  same  time  maintaining  a  firm  strip  when 
worked.  By  folding  a  yard  over  from  end  to  end  and 
then  doubling  that  again,  the  folded  cloth  is  a  quarter 
of  a  yard  in  length  and  its  full  width  as  it  lies  before 
you.  After  getting  the  edges  perfectly  even,  with  a 
pair  of  sharp  long  shears  one  can  cut  through  the  four 
thicknesses  as  easily  as  through  one.  In  cutting  let  the 
cloth  lay  on  a  table  to  your  right,  and  with  the  left 
hand  keep  hold  of  the  strip  by  the  end  nearest  to  you, 
as  you  cut  in  long  even  snips  with  the  shears  to  the 
end  of  the  folded  piece.  The  strips  should  be  straight 


33 

and  of  even  width.  A  little  practice  will  make  one 
very  skillful  and  rapid.  If  one  is  inclined  to  cut  in  a 
little  deeper  at  the  bottom  than  at  the  top,  by  reversing 
the  cloth  so  that  the  top  is  now  where  the  bottom  was, 
the  tendency  will  correct  itself ;  and  thus,  by  continual 
turning,  the  irregularity  is  remedied.  Before  long  the 
eye  is  trained  so  that  strips  can  be  cut  with  great  ex- 
actness. 

DESIGNS 

It  is  of  the  utmost  importance  that  bold  effective  de- 
signs be  chosen  for  hooked  rugs.  The  fact  that  strips 
a  quarter  of  an  inch  wide  are  used  precludes  any  fine 
detail.  Where  a  single  fine  line  is  necessary,  a  triple 
strand  of  yarn  or  worsted  can  be  substituted,  although 
I  have  never  found  this  necessary.  Broad  masses  of 
color,  simple  arrangements  of  line  and  form,  will  be 
more  effective  and  less  expensive  to  work  than  elabo- 
rate detail.  I  should  advise  the  study  of  any  Oriental 
rugs  within  reach.  Observe  the  few  simple  colors  used, 
how  they  are  interchanged  and  superimposed.  Note 
also  the  value  of  a  firm  outline  separating  the  pattern 
from  the  ground.  If  the  pattern  and  ground  are 
both  light,  the  outline  may  be  dark  blue,  red  or  brown, 
green  or  black ;  and  if  both  are  dark,  the  outline  is 
usually  cream  color,  yellow,  old  red  or  gray  green. 
Notice  too  the  effect  of  straight  lines  of  different 
widths,  how  they  enrich  the  value  of  a  border ;  for 
most  Oriental  rugs,  unless  with  cross-stripe  effects, 
have  a  definite  border,  with  perhaps  narrower  borders 
edging  it  on  one  or  both  sides.  It  is  often  an  advan- 
tage to  have  an  outside  edge  or  band  of  dark  color, 
from  half  an  inch  to  an  inch  wide,  which  serves  as  a 
frame  or  a  setting  to  the  whole. 


34 

Although  I  urge  a  careful  study  of  Oriental  rugs  as 
guides  to  color  and  line  effects,  I  do  not  advise  imi- 
tating the  designs.  The  market  is  full  of  them  at  all 
prices  —  prices  that  cannot  be  met  by  American  hand- 
work. There  is  a  strong  liking  in  many  quarters  for 
goods  of  foreign  and  especially  of  Oriental  make,  and 
it  is  idle  to  offer  to  such  people  an  American  imitation, 
no  matter  how  good  it  is.  I  should  recommend  the 
designer  to  study  savage  ornament,  semi-civilized  design 
and  Indian  patterns ;  also  bowls,  basketry,  and  textiles 
made  by  the  Zunis,  the  Chiriquians,  the  North  Coast 
and  Navajo  Indians  and  Peruvians.  Fine  examples  are 
to  be  found  among  the  Pacific  Islanders.  Here  are 
fresh  and  interesting  forms  and  ideas  that  can  be 
adapted  —  not  copied  —  to  the  uses  of  hooked  rugs, 

Bold  floral  designs  can  be  used  if  in  flat  colors,  with 
no  attempt  to  add  shading  and  perfume  to  the  flowers. 
A  wooly  copy  of  a  rose  is  at  best  a  poor  thing  ;  but  the 
flat  form  of  flower  or  leaf  as  seen  in  the  shadow  as  it 
falls  upon  the  wall  or  ground  may  have  a  beautiful  out- 
line which  can  be  used  judiciously  if  one  is  experienced 
in  conventional  design.  There  is  no  greater  snare, 
however,  than  leaves,  flowers,  and  vines;  and  unless  one 
has  achieved  a  mastery  in  the  art  of  design,  with  a 
knowledge  of  what  the  best  artists  have  done  with 
them,  they  are  to  be  avoided.  Nothing  but  absurd  and 
meaningless  results  will  follow  their  use  by  the  common 
average  hand. 

The  suitability  of  a  design  to  the  purpose  for  which 
it  is  to  be  used  is  of  great  importance.  Floors  and 
walls  are  merely  backgrounds  to  the  furniture,  pictures 
and  ornaments  in  a  room,  and  as  such  should  be  kept 
subordinated  and  free  from  fussiness,  or  wearying 


35 

intricacy.  With  this  principle  in  mind,  a  designer  of 
rugs  will  use  few  colors,  and  those  in  masses.  If  a 
border  is  used,  it  is  well  to  have  the  centre  of  the  rug 
plain,  or  at  most,  with  a  centre  medallion.  This  gives 
a  restful  and  at  the  same  time  a  finished  result.  If 
cross-stripe  effects  are  to  be  used,  and  their  name  is 
legion,  due  emphasis  must  be  given  to  spaces  where 
the  ground  color  repeats  itself.  But  above  all  other 
things  one  should  strive  to  find  a  fresh  expression  for 
old  forms  or  seek  to  interpret  new  ones  with  force  and 
simplicity. 

COMBINATIONS   OF   COLOR  ^ 

A  careful  study  of  the  effects  of  colors  upon  each 
other  will  show  that  colors  which  are  in  themselves 
beautiful  are  often  inharmonious  when  combined.  Also, 
a  little  of  a  color  may  be  good,  when  a  larger  propor- 
tion seems  to  destroy  the  balance  or  harmony.  Success 
in  this  matter  is  largely  a  matter  of  close  observation 
and  experience,  although  some  persons  have  a  natural 
feeling  or  instinct  regarding  color  which  is  seldom  in 
error.  Strong  colors  should  never  be  used,  especially 
greens.  Though  they  may  be  modest  in  the  piece, 
when  worked  in  with  other  colors,  they  have  an  un- 
fortunate way  of  becoming  intensified  tenfold.  The 
safest  tones  for  an  amateur  to  deal  with  are  dull  gray 
green,  yellow  green,  and  a  soft,  full  but  dark  olive.  In 
striking  a  certain  key  in  color  it  should  be  maintained 
throughout.  Thus  if  a  full  rich  color  predominates, 
rich  dark  colors  should  be  used  through  the  whole 
scheme.  If  a  light  tone  is  the  body  color,  soft  light 
tones  of  other  colors  will  be  found  most  harmonious. 


36 

Thus,  for  example,  a  rug  for  a  library,  or  a  hall,  in  which 
a  good  deal  of  rich  terra  cotta  appears,  should  have  a 
border  or  design  worked  in  dark  blues,  full  shades  of 
olive  green,  and  dull  yellow.  There  is  an  apparent 
exception  to  this  in  the  use  of  dull  reds,  old  ivory  and 
black  as  seen  in  Bokhara  rugs.  But  if  studied,  the 
cream  color  is  very  dull,  and  is  used  in  such  small 
quantities  as  to  be  quite  subdued  by  the  black  that  is 
used  freely  in  the  pattern.  Old  rose,  warm  golden 
browns  and  olive  may  be  used  effectively.  A  light 
Gobelin  blue  may  be  worked  with  ivory,  old  pink,  light 
dull  olive,  and  the  outlines  can  be  either  a  dark  yellow 
brown  or  very  dark  bronze  green.  An  ivory  centre  is 
lovely  with  an  old  pink  border  worked  in  green.  A  tan 
centre  may  be  combined  with  old  rose,  sage  green, 
bronze  green,  light  yellow,  cream  color,  and  dark  brown 
outlines.  Indigo  blue,  forest  green,  and  dull  yellow  are 
excellent  colors  when  combined.  A  great  variety  of 
beautiful  rugs  may  be  made  by  using  only  blue  and  white, 
and  unless  one  wishes  to  go  extensively  into  dyeing, 
it  might  be  well  to  choose  a  certain  simple  color  scheme 
such  as  blue  and  white,  red,  black  and  ivory,  and  abide 
by  it.  Let  it  be  remembered  that  white  in  rugs  is  not 
white,  neither  is  it  a  delicate  cream.  Unless  it  is 
decidedly  yellowish  or  even  grayish  in  tone,  when  in 
combination  with  other  colors,  it  becomes  a  staring  white 
that  is  anything  but  artistic.  I  dye  my  cream  colors, 
just  as  much  as  I  do  dark  reds  or  greens. 

I  have  been  asked  many  times  what  is  the  best  way 
to  plan  a  color  scheme  for  a  rug.  This  is  a  point  I 
cannot  determine  for  another.  Some  may  find  help  in 
making  water  color  sketches  of  what  they  wish  to  do. 
In  my  own  work  I  never  use  them,  as  it  requires  making 


37 

a  reduced  drawing  of  great  accuracy,  and  much  time  to 
color  it.  Often  I  plan  a  combination  mentally,  and 
match  it  up  from  the  dyed  flannels  I  always  have  on 
hand.  Other  times  I  vary  the  scheme  of  some  rug  I 
have  already  made,  experimenting  with  different  com- 
binations, using  other  rugs  as  if  they  were  books  of 
reference.  I  have  discovered  one  rather  curious  thing, 
which  is,  that  when  all  my  experimenting  is  done  I 
find  some  particular  color  scheme  fits  a  certain  rug  as 
no  other  does.  It  seems  to  clothe  or  to  fulfill  the 
pattern  as  if  it  belonged  personally  to  it.  When  I  once 
discover  this  elective  affinity  of  a  pattern  for  its  special 
coloring,  I  never  make  it  again  save  in  that  one  guise. 


STENCILS 

Having  drawn  a  quarter  of  the  design  full  size,  it  is 
necessary  to  cut  a  stencil,  that  it  may  be  used  more 
than  once.  Heavy  brown  paper  serves  very  well,  if 
after  the  stencil  is  cut  two  coats  of  varnish  are  applied 
to  both  sides.  For  my  purpose  I  use  large  sheets  of 
press  board  of  medium  weight,  which,  when  shellacked, 
are  durable  enough  to  be  used  a  score  of  times  or  more. 
In  cutting  out  the  design,  after  it  has  been  traced  upon 
the  press  board,  narrow  strips  of  the  paper  or  press 
board  must  be  left  throughout  the  pattern  to  hold  the 
design  together.  If  the  pattern  is  small  it  may  be  cut 
full  width,  and  half  the  length,  but  if  large  only  a 
quarter  of  it  is  necessary,  and  then  by  reversing  it  one 
can  mark  out  the  whole  rug.  In  cutting  a  stencil  it 
must  be  remembered  that  all  fine  details  are  lost  in  the 
working,  and  when  single  lines  are  used  in  the  design 
they  should  be  of  such  width  as  one  or  two  strips  of  the 


38 

cloth,  one  quarter  of  an  inch  wide,  would  cover.  Careful 
calculation  must  be  made  to  determine  which  portions 
of  the  design  are  to  be  cut,  and  which  left ;  otherwise 
when  half  done,  one  may  find  the  pattern  cut  away  from 
all  supports,  and  nothing  left  to  hold  it  together. 


BURLAP 

For  a  foundation  I  use  heavy  jute  burlap  of  the  best 
quality.  It  comes  in  pieces  of  two  hundred  yards. 
This  seems  a  large  amount,  but  in  an  industry  it  is  wise 
to  purchase  materials  in  large  quantities,  as  workers 
become  accustomed  to  a  certain  texture  and  the  more 
familiar  they  are  with  it  the  more  freely  they  work. 
Though  there  is  a  wider  weave,  the  common  forty  inch 
width  serves  every  purpose.  The  quality  should  be 
firm  and  even,  not  too  close,  nor  yet  coarse  and  open 
in  texture. 

STAMPING 

In  stamping  a  design,  lay  the  burlap  out  as  smoothly 
as  possible  upon  a  table.  Place  the  stencil  so  that  the 
edge  will  follow  a  thread  or  straight  line.  Either  tack 
it  lightly  in  place  or  hold  it  firm  in  some  way.  For 
scrubbing  the  design  on  to  the  burlap  I  use  a  nailbrush 
with  a  handle  running  along  the  top.  For  a  stamping 
fluid  I  use  common  liquid  blueing.  I  do  not  attempt 
to  indicate  the  colors  to  be  used  by  marking  out  the 
pattern  in  different  colors  upon  the  burlap.  The  whole 
design  is  marked  simply  in  blue,  and  afterward  the  color 
scheme  is  worked  out  in  fragments,  with  the  cut  strips 
of  cloth.  A  single  unit  of  the  pattern  worked  out  in 
color  will  indicate  as  much  as  if  a  whole  side  of  the  rug 
was  finished  for  copying. 


39 

If  the  stencil  has  been  properly  made,  the  spaces  cut 
out  represent  the  pattern  which  will  appear  in  blue 
upon  the  burlap.  A  little  practice  will  show  just  how 
this  is  to  be  done.  At  least  three  or  four  inches  should 
be  allowed  outside  of  the  edge  of  the  design  when 
stamped,  otherwise  it  cannot  be  put  into  the  frame. 
This  outside  burlap  is  turned  under  when  the  rug  is 
finished,  and  sewed  in  a  firm  neat  hem  on  the  under 
side. 


METHODS  OF  WORK 


PREPARING   THE    FRAME 

IN  putting  the  frame  together,  make  it  two  or  three 
inches  wider  than  the  stamped  pattern  you  wish  to 
put  in  it.  Double  the  burlap  beyond  the  edge  of  the 
pattern  in  tacking  it  on  the  frame,  so  as  to  save  any 
strain  from  the  tacks  coming  on  a  single  thickness. 
Do  not  let  the  double  burlap  extend  under  so  far  that 
it  will  be  hooked  into  the  design.  Tack  the  burlap 
so  that  the  whole  end  of  the  pattern  shall  fall  a  full 
inch  within  the  frame,  for  it  is  difficult  to  hook  close 
up  to  the  frame.  Keep  the  burlap  taut  and  firm,  with- 
out stretching  it ;  also  keep  the  edges  straight  and  true  ; 
for  if  a  rug  has  been  tacked  carelessly  into  a  frame, 
when  finished  it  will  come  out  askew  and  cannot  be 
straightened.  Place  the  frame  in  a  horizontal  position, 
resting  on  two  tables,  or  on  a  table  and  a  window  sill, 
sufficiently  high  to  enable  the  worker  to  sit  in  an  easy 
upright  position.  If  due  attention  is  given  to  the  rela- 
tive height  of  the  chair  and  the  frame,  it  will  save  the 
cramped  position  and  the  aching  back  of  which  some 
complain.  I  urge  my  workers  to  maintain  a  proper 
position,  as  they  can  work  more  hours  at  a  time  with 
almost  no  fatigue. 


METHOD   OF   HOOKING 

In  holding  the  hook,  take  the  handle  with  the  right 
hand  well  within  the  palm,  with  the  forefinger  extended, 
and  resting  on  the  upper  edge  of  the  hook,  and  the 
thumb  underneath  as  a  sort  of  a  brace,  and  the  other 
three  fingers  closed  lightly  around  it.  Take  the  end  of 
a  strip  of  cloth  with  the  left  hand,  holding  it  between 
the  thumb  and  first  finger,  using  the  little  finger  as  a 
gauge,  much  as  a  crocheter  does  with  her  thread.  Hold 
the  end  close  to  the  burlap  underneath  the  frame  at 
the  point  where  you  start  to  work  at  the  right  hand 
lower  corner.  With  the  right  hand,  holding  the  hook 
a  little  inclined  from  the  horizontal  position,  push  it 
through  the  burlap,  catch  the  end  of  the  strip,  and 
bring  it  up  through  the  burlap  three  eighths  of  an  inch. 
Push  the  hook  through  again  about  two  threads  distant 
from  the  first  end  brought  up,  and  bring  up  a  loop  of 
equal  length,  and  continue  to  bring  up  loops  until  the 
strip  is  used  ;  then  bring  the  end  to  the  top.  Thus 
both  ends  are  brought  up,  a  matter  of  prime  importance, 
as  none  must  be  left  on  the  under  side  to  catch  and  pull 
out.  Be  sure  to  keep  the  goods  close  to  the  burlap  on 
the  under  side  as  it  is  worked,  and  see  that  no  stitch  laps 
across  another,  as  this  makes  a  bunch.  Do  not  wrap 
the  strip  about  the  hook  to  bring  it  up,  but  let  the  hook 
drop  just  below  the  strip,  and  thus  draw  it  upwards 
with  a  slight  movement.  In  bringing  the  loop  up  be 
sure  to  keep  the  hook  in  almost  a  horizontal  position, 
and  press  on  the  hole  backward,  and  toward  you,  with 
the  underside  of  the  hook,  so  as  to  keep  it  from  catch- 
ing in  the  meshes  in  front.  This  trifling  point  is  im- 
perative for  rapid  work,  else  the  hook  will  catch  con- 


42 

stantly  and  cause  no  end  of  trouble.  Pull  the  loop  up 
with  one  short  quick  movement  of  the  whole  arm,  not 
of  the  hand.  This  movement  is  upward  and  slightly 
backward,  and  is  a  very  different  thing  from  using  a 
wrist  movement,  which  ends  generally  in  a  struggle  to 
twist  the  loop  up  through  the  hole.  At  first,  one  will 
find  that  the  last  stitch  will  be  pulled  out  by  this  one 
simple  stroke,  but  by  keeping  the  thumbnail  or  the 
point  of  the  first  finger  of  the  left  hand  on  the  last 
stitch  underneath,  one  can  become  so  deft  that  no  strain 
comes  on  that  last  stitch,  but  comes  directly  on  the 
loose  part  of  the  strip  as  it  slips  through  the  left  hand. 
A  little  experiment  and  observation  will  make  all  this 
clear. 

The  chief  difference  between  the  new  hand-made 
rugs  and  the  old  process  is  the  way  the  loops  are  pulled 
up.  By  my  method  they  are  pulled  up  a  trifle  unequal 
in  length,  varying  just  enough  so  that  when  sheared  all 
the  loops  are  not  cut ;  only  the  higher  ones  are  clipped, 
and  the  shorter  ones,  left  between,  which  are  then 
no  higher  than  the  clipped  ones,  give  firmness.  The 
clipped  ones  fray  a  little,  as  all  twilled  goods  will,  and 
in  this  slight  unraveling  they  give  a  soft  velvety  sur- 
face that  is  wholly  unlike  the  old  stiff  hooked  rugs, 
which  consist  of  straight  rows  of  loops  drawn  up  a 
uniform  height.  If  the  loops,  however,  are  more  than 
the  least  trifle  of  difference  in  length,  it  involves  an 
unnecessary  waste  of  cloth  in  the  clipping.  What  is 
cut  off  should  be  little  more  than  fuzz. 

Another  difference  is,  that  in  the  new  method  the 
strips  are  not  drawn  up  in  straight  lines,  except  to  out- 
line a  pattern,  or  in  the  row  at  the  extreme  edge  of  the 
rug.  My  plan  is  to  take  three  or  four  stitches  up,  and 


43 

skipping  over  two  or  sometimes  three  threads,  take  as 
many  down,  up  and  down,  thus  making  an  undulating 
arrangement  that  covers  the  ground,  without  filling 
every  hole.  By  a  little  care  the  loops  can  be  brought 
up  at  slightly  different  angles  from  each  other,  so  that 
they  catch  the  light  at  different  angles  and  diffuse  it, 
which  adds  to  the  velvety  surface.  For  a  beginner  it  is 
always  best  to  work  from  right  to  left ;  but  gradually 
one  gains  complete  mastery  over  materials  and  learns  to 
work  up  and  down,  to  left  or  right,  with  equal  ease  and 
rapidity.  This  comes  only  with  time  and  practice.  Do 
not  try  to  fill  a  whole  frameful  from  one  side.  Work 
from  the  side  containing  the  end  of  the  rug,  to  the  mid- 
dle of  the  frame  j  then  turn  the  frame  around  and  work 
from  the  middle  to  the  opposite  edge.  As  each  frame- 
ful is  filled  and  clipped,  the  burlap  should  be  shifted 
along,  keeping  the  edges  true  and  the  corners  square, 
until  the  whole  rug  is  finished.  If  the  rug  is  very  wide, 
it  is  well  to  work  the  centre  first,  then  put  the  border 
in,  running  lengthwise  of  the  frame,  and  work  it  from 
right  to  left  until  the  whole  border  is  finished  too. 


CLIPPING 

Use  very  sharp  long  shears  for  clipping,  holding 
them  as  horizontally  as  possible,  so  as  not  to  gouge 
unequally  into  the  rug.  A  well  hooked  rug  may  be 
utterly  spoilt  if  badly  clipped.  By  placing  the  out- 
stretched forefinger  of  the  left  hand  under  the  portion 
which  one  is  clipping,  it  can  be  raised  a  trifle,  and  there 
is  less  danger  of  cutting  irregularly.  Cut  with  long, 
even  clips,  just  enough  to  take  off  the  merest  trifle  from 
the  tops  of  the  loops,  and  if  they  have  been  pulled  up 


44 

properly,  the  surface  will  be  very  smooth  and  will  look 
as  if  every  loop  was  cut ;  whereas  there  are  really  many 
that  remain  uncut.  The  cut  and  the  uncut  ones  should 
make  a  uniform  surface  and  not  show  any  difference. 


SHADING 

Much  skill  can  be  shown  by  an  artistic  worker  in  the 
use  of  slight  shades  of  difference  in  the  same  color. 
For  example,  in  the  plain  centre  of  a  rug,  several 
tones  representing  shades  of  the  same  color  will  give 
the  effect  of  a  play  of  light  on  a  silky  surface,  which  is 
very  beautiful.  By  using  material  that  has  been  dyed 
a  trifle  darker  at  one  end  of  the  rug,  and  working  in 
gradually  lighter  tones,  the  result  is  surprisingly  effec- 
tive. To  do  this,  each  three  or  four  yards  should  be 
dyed  with  these  slight  differences  of  tone ;  then  when 
within  thirty  strips  of  the  end  of  one  color  (more  or 
less  according  to  the  width  of  the  rug),  work  in  a  broken 
line  of  the  next  tone  all  across  the  rug.  Then  use  a 
few  rows  (not  worked  in  single  rows,  however)  of  the 
first  color  across  the  entire  rug,  then  a  wider  broken 
line  of  the  second  color.  Broken  lines  blend  better 
than  continuous  lines  do.  The  portions  of  the  second 
line  should  fall  above  the  broken  spaces  left  in  the  first 
line  (in  the  same  way  that  masons  lay  bricks),  then  a 
little  more  of  the  first  color,  using  less  and  less  of  it, 
and  increasing  the  width  of  the  second  in  masses,  until 
the  first  color  has  become  only  broken  lines  upon  the 
ground  of  the  second  color.  All  the  way  through  any 
changes  of  color  should  be  merged  in  this  way.  Be 
sure  to  work  this  method  from  side  to  side  across  the 
rug,  as  the  frameful  is  filled. 


45 


DEVELOPING   A   PATTERN 

Where  a  definite  design  appears  in  a  rug,  first  work 
in  a  careful  outline  with  narrow  even  strips,  following 
all  curves  and  turning  all  corners  with  precision.  Then 
fill  in  the  pattern  so  as  not  to  crowd  the  outline  and 
destroy  its  shape.  After  the  pattern  is  worked  fill  in 
the  ground,  working  carefully  into  all  corners  and 
crevices,  for  that  which  is  worked  outside  of  the  out- 
line helps  to  maintain  the  pattern  as  much  as  that 
which  is  inclosed  by  it. 


CARE   OF    RUGS 

These  hand-made  rugs  may  be  swept  daily ;  or  they 
may  be  beaten  if  turned  upon  the  wrong  side.  Do  not 
take  hold  of  the  hem  to  shake  them,  as  the  strain  at 
the  point  where  the  edge  is  hemmed  may  pull  the 
stitches  out,  which  cannot  occur  if  one  takes  hold  of 
a  rug  well  within  the  hem.  For  a  few  weeks  it  is  pos- 
sible that  an  end  here  and  there  may  work  up  above 
the  pile.  If  so,  cut  it  off  ;  but  a  little  wear  soon  reme- 
dies this  matter,  and  as  time  goes  on  there  is  small 
chance  of  an  end  working  loose.  Simple  as  it  is  to 
keep  a  hooked  rug  in  perfect  condition,  the  public  must 
be  instructed  about  them,  as  is  done  with  an  Oriental 
rug.  With  ordinary  care  these  rugs  should  last  a  lifetime. 

DYEING 

This  is  the  most  difficult  feature  of  the  whole  handi- 
craft, the  actual  coloring,  and  yet  for  fine  effects  I 
should  recommend  only  the  use  of  hand-dyed  ma- 


46 

terials.  Goods  dyed  by  professional  dyers  are  per- 
fectly uniform  in  color  throughout,  and  rugs  made  of 
such  material  will  have  nothing  of  that  difference  of 
tone,  that  play  of  color,  that  is  absolutely  necessary  for 
beauty.  Nor  can  one  get  the  material  I  have  described 
save  in  white  and  dark  blue,  and  unless  an  order  is 
given  to  the  mills  for  a  whole  dip,  as  it  is  called,  in 
other  words  twelve  pieces  or  bolts  of  cloth  of  one 
color,  a  mill  will  not  dye  goods  to  special  order  for  a 
purchaser.  The  cost  of  having  a  small  quantity  dyed 
by  professional  dyers  is  prohibitive,  even  if  taken  in 
five  hundred  yard  lengths.  I  advise  any  one  who 
wishes  to  engage  in  such  work  to  do  his  own  dyeing, 
and  by-following  exactly  the  instructions  I  give,  excel- 
lent results  can  be  obtained.  Dyeing  is  not  a  thing 
that  admits  of  carelessness  in  details  or  any  omissions. 
It  requires  the  utmost  accuracy  and  method,  as  the 
most  trifling  variation  in  proportions  of  colors  yields  a 
different  result  in  tone. 


PREPARING   THE   CLOTH 

In  the  first  place  it  is  desirable  to  use  only  flannel 
that  has  not  been  sulphur  bleached  and  hot  pressed,  as 
it  takes  the  dye  better.  All  cloth  must  be  thoroughly 
damp  before  going  into  the  dye  bath.  I  have  found 
the  easiest  way  is  to  plunge  the  flannel  into  scalding 
water,  dipping  it  up  and  down  with  the  aid  of  two  stout 
sticks,  so  as  not  to  touch  the  hot  flannel  with  the  hands. 
When  thoroughly  soaked,  so  that  no  white  dry  spots  are 
left,  take  the  flannel  out  and  drain  thoroughly,  and  lay 
each  length  aside  to  cool,  until  the  whole  amount  has 
been  scalded.  I  usually  cut  the  cloth  in  three  yard 


47 

lengths  for  the  following  reasons.  As  almost  every  rug 
varies  from  the  others  in  our  manufacture,  and  most  of 
them  are  made  to  order  to  match  certain  color  effects 
desired  by  the  purchaser,  the  materials  for  each  rug 
are  dyed  separately.  In  such  cases  it  is  well  to  have 
just  the  amount  of  each  color  required  to  make  the 
pattern ;  for  small  quantities  of  odd  colors  left  over  are 
rather  difficult  to  use,  and  they  accumulate  to  an  as- 
tonishing extent,  though  they  can  be  redipped  and  dyed 
some  dark  blue,  brown  or  green  for  outlines  if  desired. 
I  find  for  convenience  three  yard  lengths  make  a  good 
unit,  which  can  be  increased  or  divided  as  one  needs. 
Another  reason  for  choosing  this  length  is  that  a  pound 
of  cloth  represents  a  fractional  portion  of  five  yards,  and 
in  distributing  cloth  to  workers  and  getting  returns  it 
is  convenient  to  compute  in  yard  lengths,  and  not  in 
fractions  of  yards  ;  also  six  yards  at  a  time  is  an  easy 
amount  to  handle  in  the  dye  bath  and  it  is  well  in  dye- 
ing a  large  quantity  to  do  as  much  as  one  can  at  a 
time  without  crowding  the  cloth.  So  for  my  own  con- 
venience I  have  adopted,  not  the  usual  pound  of  cloth, 
but  three  or  six  yards  as  an  arbitrary  unit  of  measure. 
If  one  wishes  to  vary  this  it  can  be  done  by  estimating 
one  yard  as  weighing  3^  oz.  in  making  other  computa- 
tions. 

DYE    KETTLES 

In  dyeing  use  only  brass,  copper,  granite  or  porcelain 
kettles,  unless  one  goes  into  it  on  a  large  scale  and 
uses  regular  machinery.  Brass  and  copper  vessels  are 
to  be  preferred,  while  iron  or  tin  showing  iron  are  to 
be  carefully  avoided,  as  the  mordants  have  a  great 
affinity  for  iron  and  ruin  the  color.  I  use  a  large  brass 


48 

kettle  holding  about  five  gallons,  which  takes  six  yards 
at  a  time  without  crowding,  and,  as  I  have  explained, 
that  is  all  an  average  person  can  handle  conveniently 
when  the  cloth  is  wet. 


MORDANTS 

For  mordants  I  use  Glauber  salts  and  sulphuric 
acid,  and  with  the  weight  of  cloth  I  use,  it  takes  3  oz. 
of  Glauber  salts  and  f  of  an  oz.  of  sulphuric  acid  (full 
strength)  to  each  six  yards  of  flannel.  I  use  a  one 
ounce  Phenix  graduate  (American  standard)  measuring 
glass,  and  as  full  strength  sulphuric  acid  has  about 
twice  the  specific  gravity  of  water,  one  should  measure 
by  the  scale  engraved  on  the  right  hand  side  of  the 
glass.  The  left  hand  scale  is  based  upon  the  standard 
unit  of  weight,  which  is  water. 

In  using  sulphuric  acid  I  dilute  it  in  a  little  cold 
water  in  a  cup  by  pouring  the  acid  on  to  the  water,  as 
sulphuric  acid  in  uniting  with  water  causes  a  chemical 
reaction.  Where  a  large  quantity  of  acid  is  used  this 
reaction  is  accompanied  by  a  sudden  burst  of  steam,  if 
the  water  falls  upon  the  acid.  But  in  a  small  quantity 
as  this,  there  is  no  possible  danger  of  accident  if  the 
acid  is  poured  on  the  water.  Sulphuric  acid  should  be 
closely  stoppered  and  used  with  care,  as  it  is  corrosive, 
eating  holes  in  cotton  or  linen  fabrics.  With  ordinary 
precautions  it  can  be  used  without  the  least  difficulty. 

Glauber  salts  are  too  well  known  in  commerce  to 
need  description,  and  are  used  to  neutralize  the  acid. 
The  two  in  combination  do  not  injure  woolen  fabrics, 
but  merely  set  the  dyes. 

In   preparing  the  dye  bath   allow  three  gallons  of 


49 

water,  and  £  oz.  of  sulphuric  acid  ;  stir  thoroughly  and 
add  3  oz.  Glauber  salts  to  six  yards  of  cloth.  Then  add 
the  dyestuif  in  required  proportions.  Stir  thoroughly 
as  each  ingredient  is  added,  for  the  evenness  of  the 
dye  depends  upon  the  thorough  distribution  of  the 
mordants  and  color  in  the  dye  bath.  Generally  it  is  ad- 
vised to  strain  the  dye  before  it  is  added,  but  as  an 
even  tone  is  not  the  desired  result  for  this  special 
handicraft,  I  never  follow  this  suggestion. 


TEMPERATURE 

The  proper  temperature  for  introducing  the  color  in 
the  bath  is  not  over  150°  F.,  but  if  one  has  not  a  bath 
thermometer,  the  temperature  must  be  very  hot,  yet 
far  below  boiling  point.  Temperature  plays  a  great 
part  in  dyeing,  for  if  the  dye  bath  is  too  hot  when  the 
cloth  is  introduced,  the  dye,  having  a  great  avidity  for 
wool,  will  be  absorbed  unequally  by  the  cloth,  the  ends 
and  outside  folds  of  the  cloth  absorbing  more  color 
than  is  desired,  and  the  inner  folds  will  have  less.  I 
am  not  discussing  the  process  of  dyeing  as  it  should 
be  done  on  a  large  scale  with  vats  and  suitable  reels, 
etc.,  but  as  it  is  likely  to  be  done  by  an  amateur,  in  a 
small  way.  When  the  bath  is  too  hot,  the  cloth  takes 
the  dye  unequally  and  is  quite  spotted.  A  little  ir- 
regularity is  necessary  for  a  play  of  color,  but  it  should 
be  secured  in  a  definite  way  and  only  to  a  certain  de- 
gree, and  not  as  the  result  of  accident.  If  the  cloth 
has  come  out  spotty,  it  may  be  redipped,  having  added 
more  dye  and  mordants  to  the  bath,  but  it  will  come 
out  a  darker  shade.  If  the  bath  is  anywhere  near  the 
boiling  point  before  the  cloth  is  dipped,  reduce  it  by 
adding  a  quart  or  two  of  cold  water. 


5° 

Having  prepared  the  bath,  gather  the  cloth  in  the 
right  hand  at  half  a  dozen  places  along  one  selvedge, 
and  drop  it  in,  spreading  it  at  once,  using  two  stout 
sticks,  lifting  it  up  and  down  continually  so  as  to  ex- 
pose all  parts  to  the  dye.  The  temperature  should  be 
increased  to  the  boiling  point  and  continued  for  three 
quarters  of  an  hour.  Then  lift  the  cloth  up,  and  drain 
it,  then  rinse  in  cold  water,  wring  dry,  but  do  not  press 
with  an  iron,  as  the  soft  wooly  texture  is  very  desir- 
able. When  a  quantity  of  the  same  color  is  desired, 
the  same  water  can  be  used  again  by  adding  acid  and 
Glauber  salts,  together  with  more  dyestuff  with  each 
fresh  dip  of  cloth.  It  must  be  stated,  however,  that 
the  color  will  not  be  so  clear  with  succeeding  dips,  but 
that  does  not  matter,  as  a  difference  is  desired.  The 
process  of  dyeing  is  very  delicate  and  the  utmost  pre- 
cision must  be  observed  in  following  proportions  and 
directions  regarding  temperature,  etc.  Dyeing  is  more 
successful  in  clear  weather  than  on  rainy  days,  and  soft 
water  is  required  to  get  good  results.  If  water  con- 
tains much  lime  or  earthy  salts  it  is  unfit  for  dyeing, 
and  must  be  neutralized  by  acetic  acid.  In  such  cases 
it  would  be  still  better  to  use  rain  water. 


DYES 

There  is  a  curious  conviction  prevailing  in  some 
quarters  that  beautiful  durable  colors  are  obtainable 
only  from  vegetable  dyes.  My  first  experiments  were 
with  barks,  mosses,  etc.,  but  the  difficulty  of  getting 
them,  the  enormous  amount  necessary  to  dye  any  quan- 
tity of  goods,  the  tedious  process  in  their  use,  and  the 
fact  that  after  all  only  a  narrow  range  of  colors  is  ob- 


51 

tainable  from  them,  compelled  me  to  abandon  them 
altogether.  I  began  to  investigate  chemical  dyes,  and 
to  gain  information  I  applied  to  one  of  the  largest 
woolen  mills  in  New  England,  one  which  maintains  a 
high  reputation  for  the  class  of  goods  it  manufactures ; 
also  to  two  wholesale  houses  dealing  in  all  kinds  of  dye- 
stuffs  ;  and  finally  to  one  of  the  best  experts  in  color  in 
the  country.  Their  verdict  was  unanimous,  and  is 
summed  up  in  the  opinion  of  the  expert  which  he  ex- 
pressed in  a  letter  to  me  on  this  question. 

"  In  regard  to  the  use  of  vegetable  dyes,  I  would  say 
that  they  have  almost  disappeared  from  commerce,  cer- 
tainly for  the  purpose  of  dyeing  fabrics. 

"  We  know,  of  course,  that  there  are  strong  prejudices 
still  existing  in  the  layman's  mind  in  regard  to  the  use 
of  aniline  colors,  who  supposes  that  they  are  not  only 
fugitive,  but  that  the  resulting  tones  are  harsh  and 
unattractive.  This,  unfortunately,  was  so  twenty-five 
years  ago,  and  the  impression  made  then  upon  the  lay- 
man's mind  has  not  been  changed  during  all  these 
years ;  but  I  can  assure  you  that  all  the  beautiful  silk 
goods,  tapestries,  cloths,  and  all  the  colors  which  we 
see  in  fabrics  to-day  are  made,  without  exception,  from 
aniline  colors,  which  are  immeasurably  more  perma- 
nent than  are  the  vegetable  dyes  used  up  to,  say,  1875. 

"  I  have  in  my  library  all  the  principal  books  written 
on  the  subject  of  dyeing  with  vegetable  colors,  and  to 
show  the  disuse  into  which  they  have  fallen  I  mention 
the  fact  that  not  one  book  on  this  subject,  that  I  know 
of,  has  been  published  since  about  1875.  There  is  no 
demand  for  knowledge  of  this  kind  since  that  date,  and 
the  methods  and  the  products  used  have  all  become 
obsolete." 


5* 

My  own  experience  of  several  years  justifies  this  esti- 
mate of  aniline  colors,  and  with  the  small  range  of 
eight  colors  —  a  dull  and  a  bright  red,  a  dull  and  a 
bright  yellow,  a  dark  and  a  brighter  blue,  one  green, 
and  a  drab,  I  have  been  able  to  reproduce  all  the 
lovely  faded  tones  seen  in  Oriental  rugs  of  the  best 
class,  as  well  as  to  match  any  bit  of  wall  paper,  carpet, 
tapestry,  or  threads  of  yarn  from  a  rug,  that  have  been 
sent  me  by  purchasers  who  wished  to  have  certain  pre- 
dominating colors  in  their  rooms  matched  in  the  rugs 
they  ordered.  Though  the  dyes  come  in  large  cans, 
weighing  several  pounds,  they  are  in  such  a  concen- 
trated form  that  half  an  ounce  of  dull  red  will  dye  six 
yards  of  flannel  a  deep,  rich  terra-cotta,  while  a  quarter 
of  an  ounce  will  dye  from  eighteen  to  thirty  yards  of 
the  lighter  tones  of  old  pinks,  blues,  yellows,  and  tans. 

In  making  each  experiment  I  have  kept  a  formula  of 
the  quantity  of  dyestuffs  used  pure  or  in  combination 
with  other  colors,  and  attached  to  the  formula  is  a 
sample  of  cloth  dyed  by  it.  Thus  I  have  an  exact 
record  of  various  proportions  required  for  different 
colors  and  the  various  tones  of  each  color.  By  follow- 
ing these  proportions  I  can  secure  the  same  results 
month  after  month.  These  formulas  are  the  final  re- 
sults of  many  experiments  and  many  failures,  but  by 
maintaining  the  same  quality  of  goods  I  can  now  dye 
with  assurance  of  getting  the  color  I  wish. 


DIRECTIONS   FOR   DYEING 

In  using  my  range  of  eight  colors  I  provide  myself  with 
large,  strong  glass  bottles  in  which  I  keep  my  diluted 
colors.  I  use  a  pint  measure  for  diluting  the  dyes.  In 


S3 

preparing  the  fluid  I  put  one  half  or  one  quarter  of 
an  ounce  of  dry  color,  whichever  amount  the  formula 
calls  for,  into  the  pint  measure  and  mix  it  thoroughly 
with  a  little  cold  water.  The  reason  for  using  cold 
water  is  that  the  dyes  are  a  tar  product,  and  if  mixed 
with  hot  water  first,  they  are  apt  to  grow  waxy  under 
the  heat  and  not  dissolve  readily.  Having  dissolved 
them  I  fill  up  the  measure  with  hot  water,  stirring  all 
the  time.  This  makes  a  pint  of  liquid  which  is  of  uni- 
form strength  under  all  circumstances,  and  every  for- 
mula is  based  upon  this  invariable  pint  measure  of 
water.  These  formulas  I  have  tried  over  and  over 
again.  They  are  made  with  special  reference  to  the 
grade  of  flannel  I  have  adopted,  and  doubtless  will 
vary  in  results  if  used  on  other  weights  or  weaves  of 
wool  goods. 

The  dyes  called  for  in  the  following  formulas  have 
not  been  offered  before  to  the  retail  market,  nor  are 
they  to  be  confounded  with  certain  crude  brands  that 
have  been  sold  in  small  packages  containing  only  one 
eighth  or  one  sixth  of  an  ounce.  These  cannot  be  sub- 
stituted for  my  colors,  and  any  attempt  to  do  so  would 
be  disastrous  in  results. 

In  conclusion  I  desire  to  state  that  having  been  al- 
most discouraged  before  finding  suitable  materials  to 
make  my  first  experiments  in  hand-made  rugs,  and 
believing  that  others  will  be  met,  and  perhaps  deterred 
by  the  same  obstacles,  should  they  undertake  a  like 
work  for  their  own  personal  use  or  as  an  industrial 
experiment,  I  have  decided  to  place  my  experience  at 
the  disposal  of  others  and  furnish  at  a  moderate  cost 
both  flannel  and  dyes  such  as  I  use  in  the  Abnakee 
Industry. 


DYE  FORMULAS 

NO.    I.     DARK   TERRA  GOTTA 

Dissolve  £  oz.  of  jdull  red  in  i  pint  of  water. 

Dissolve  J  oz.  of  green  in  i  pint  of  water. 

Take  full  pint  measure  of  dull  red  dye  and  4  table- 
spoonfuls  of  green  dye  to  6  yds.  cloth. 

Mordants  :  f  oz.  sulphuric  acid  and  3  oz.  Glauber 
salts.  Boil  |  of  an  hour. 

NO.    2.    FULL   TERRA   COTTA 

Dissolve  £  oz.  of  dull  red  in  i  pint  of  water. 

Use  full  pint  measure  of  dull  red  dye  to  6  yds.  of 
cloth. 

Mordants :  f  oz.  sulphuric  acid  and  3  oz.  Glauber 
salts. 

NO.    3.     LIGHTER   TERRA   COTTA 

Dissolve  £  oz.  of  dull  red  in  i  pint  of  water. 

Use  22  tablespoonfuls  of  dull  red  dye  to  6  yds. 
cloth. 

Mordants :  f  oz.  sulphuric  acid  and  3  oz.  Glauber 
salts. 

NO.    4.    RICH   OLD   RED 

Dissolve  £  oz.  of  dull  red  in  i  pint  of  water. 
L    Dissolve  |  oz.  of  green  in  i  pint  of  water. 


55 

Use  24  tablespoonfuls  of  dull  red  dye  and  3  table- 
spoonfuls  of  green  dye  to  6  yds.  of  cloth. 
Mordants  :  Same  as  No.  i. 


NO.    5.     DULL   OLD   ROSE 

Dissolve  J  oz.  of  dull  red  in  i  pint  of  water. 

Dissolve  J  oz.  of  bright  blue  in  i  pint  of  water. 

Dissolve  J  oz.  of  dull  yellow  in  i  pint  of  water. 

Use  1 6  tablespoonfuls  of  dull  red  dye,  and  i  table- 
spoonful  of  bright  blue  dye,  and  3  tablespoonfuls  of 
dull  yellow  dye  to  6  yds.  of  cloth. 

Mordants :  Same  as  No.  i. 

NO.    6.     OLD   PINK 

Dissolve  J  oz.  of  dull  red  in  i  pint  of  water. 

Dissolve  J  oz.  of  dull  yellow  in  i  pint  of  water. 

Dissolve  i  oz.  of  dark  blue  in  i  pint  of  water. 

Use  6  tablespoonfuls  of  dull  red  dye,  and  3  table- 
spoonfuls  of  dull  yellow  dye,  and  i£  teaspoonfuls  of 
dark  blue  dye  to  6  yards  of  cloth. 

Mordants  :  Same  as  in  No.  i. 


NO.    7.     FULL   YELLOW 

Dissolve  J  oz.  of  bright  yellow  in  i  pint  of  water. 
Dissolve  -  oz.  of  dull  yellow  in  i  pint  of  water. 
Dissolve  J  oz.  of  green  in  i  pint  of  water. 


Use  6  ta 


Dlespoonfuls   of  bright  yellow  dye,  and  5 


tablespoonfuls  of  dull  yellow  dye,  and  2  tablespoonfuls 
of  green  dye  to  6  yds.  of  cloth. 
Mordants  :  Same  as  in  No.  i. 


NO.    8.     RICH   DULL  YELLOW 

Dissolve  J  oz.  of  bright  yellow  in  i  pint  of  water. 
Dissolve  £  oz.  of  dull  red  in  i  pint  of  water. 
Use  12  tablespoonfuls  of  yellow  dye,  and  6  table- 
spoonfuls  of  dull  red  dye  to  6  yds.  of  cloth. 
Mordants :  Same  as  No.  i. 


NO.    9.     DARK   TAN   YELLOW 

Dissolve  £  oz.  of  dull  yellow  in  i  pint  of  water. 
Use  14  tablespoonfuls  of  dull  yellow  dye  to  6  yds.  of 
cloth. 

Mordants :  Same  as  in  No  i. 

NO.    10.     LIGHT   OLIVE   TAN 

Dissolve  J  oz.  of  bright  yellow  in  i  pint  of  water. 

Dissolve  J  oz.  of  dull  yellow  in  i  pint  of  water. 

Dissolve  i  oz.  of  dark  blue  in  one  pint  of  water. 

Use  6  tablespoonfuls  of  bright  yellow  dye,  4  table- 
spoonfuls  of  dull  yellow  dye,  i£  tablespoonfuls  of  dark 
blue  dye  to  6  yds.  of  cloth. 

Mordants :  Same  as  No.  i, 

NO.    II.     OLD   IVORY 

Dissolve  J  oz.  of  bright  yellow  in  i  pint  of  water. 

Dissolve  £  oz.  of  drab  in  i  pint  of  water. 

Dissolve  |  oz.  of  green  in  i  pint  of  water. 

Use  £  teaspoonful  of  yellow  dye,  and  |  teaspoonful 
of  drab  dye,  and  i  teaspoonful  of  green  dye  to  6  yds. 
of  cloth. 

Mordants  :  Same  as  in  No.  i. 


57 


NO.    12.     RICH   NAVY   BLUE 

Dissolve  i  oz.  of  dark  blue  in  i  pint  of  water. 

Use  full  pint  measure  of  dark  blue  dye  to  6  yds.  of 
goods. 

Mordants  :  i  oz.  sulphuric  acid,  3  oz.  Glauber  salts. 
Boil  i  hour. 


NO.    13.    DARK   PERSIAN   BLUE 

Dissolve  i  oz.  of  dark  blue  in  i  pint  of  water. 
Dissolve  J  oz.  of  green  in  i  pint  of  water. 
Use  10  tablespoonfuls  of  dark  blue  dye,  6  tablespoon- 
fuls  of  green  dye  to  6  yds.  of  cloth. 
Mordants  :  Same  as  in  No.  12. 


NO.    14.    GOBELIN    BLUE 

Dissolve  i  oz.  of  dark  blue  in  i  pint  of  water. 
Dissolve  J  oz.  of  green  in  i  pint  of  water. 
Use  6  tablespoonfuls  of  dark  blue  dye,  4  tablespoon- 
fuls of  green  dye  to  6  yds.  of  cloth. 
Mordants  :  Same  as  in  No.  12. 


NO.    15.     LIGHT  GRAY   BLUE 

Dissolve  i  oz.  of  dark  blue  in  i  pint  of  water. 
Dissolve  £  oz.  of  green  in  i  pint  of  water. 
Use  2  tablespoonfuls  of  dark  blue  dye,  4  tablespoon- 
fuls of  green  dye  to  6  yds.  of  cloth. 
Mordants :  Same  as  in  No.  12. 


NO.    1 6.    LIGHT  SAGE   GREEN 

Dissolve  £  oz.  of  green  in  i  pint  of  water. 

Dissolve  £  oz.  of  bright  yellow  in  i  pint  of  water. 

Dissolve  J  'oz.  of  dull  red  in  i  pint  of  water. 

Use  10  tablespoonfuls  of  green  dye,  2  tablespoonfuls 
of  bright  yellow  dye,  and  i£  tablespoonfuls  of  dull  red 
dye  to  6  yds.  of  cloth. 

Mordants  :  Same  as  in  No.  i. 


NO.    17.     LIGHT  OLIVE 

Dissolve  i  oz.  of  green  in  i  pint  of  water. 

Dissolve  J  oz.  of  bright  yellow  in  i  pint  of  water. 

Dissolve  £  oz.  of  dull  red  in  i  pint  of  water. 

Use  1 6  tablespoonfuls  of  green  dye,  4  tablespoonfuls 
of  bright  yellow  dye,  and  3  tablespoonfuls  of  dull  red 
to  6  yds.  of  cloth. 

Mordants  :  Same  as  in  No.  i. 

NO.    1 8.    DARK   MOSS   GREEN 

Dissolve  2  level  teaspoonfuls  of  green  in  i  pint  mea- 
sure of  water. 

Dissolve  J  oz.  of  bright  yellow  in  i  pint  of  water. 

Use  full  pint  measure  of  green  dye,  and  15  table- 
spoonfuls  of  bright  yellow  dye  to  6  yds.  of  cloth. 

Mordants  :  3  oz.  of  Glauber  salts  and  i  oz.  of  sul- 
phuric acid.  Boil  }  of  an  hour. 


59 


NO.    19.    GOLDEN   BROWN 

Dissolve  J  oz.  of  dull  yellow  in  i  pint  of  water. 

Dissolve  J  oz.  of  dull  red  in  i  pint  of  water. 

Dissolve  J  oz.  of  green  in  i  pint  of  water. 

Use  20  tablespoonfuls  of  dull  yellow  dye,  5  table- 
spoonfuls  of  dull  red  dye,  15  tablespoonfuls  of  green 
dye  to  6  yds.  of  cloth. 

Mordants :  Same  as  in  No.  18. 


NO.    2O.    DARK   BRONZE 

Dissolve  J  oz.  of  green  in  i  pint  of  water. 

Dissolve  £  oz.  of  dull  red  in  i  pint  of  water. 

Dissolve  i  oz.  of  dark  blue  in  i  pint  of  water. 

Dissolve  \  oz.  of  bright  yellow  in  i  pint  of  water. 

Use  8  tablespoonfuls  of  green  dye,  12  tablespoonfuls 
of  dull  red  dye,  4  tablespoonfuls  of  dark  blue  dye  to 
6  yds.  of  cloth. 

Mordants :  Same  as  No.  18. 

Redip  in  4  tablespoonfuls  of  green  dye  and  5  table- 
spoonfuls  of  bright  yellow  dye. 

Mordants :  Repeat  the  one  above. 

These  formulas  can  be  taken  as  the  basis  of  many 
other  tones  and  shades  which  can  be  secured  by  a 
slight  alteration  of  proportions.  By  adding  a  trifle 
more  dull  red,  green,  indigo  or  drab  liquid  dyes,  a 
color  can  be  darkened.  By  using  less  of  these  than 
the  formulas  call  for,  the  colors  will  be  lighter.  By 
using  more  of  dull  or  bright  yellow  a  color  can  often 
be  made  richer  without  darkening  it.  Beginners  are 
cautioned  against  making  changes  until  they  become 


6o 

familiar  with  the  dyes.  In  making  new  experiments, 
try  them  on  yard  lengths,  carefully  subdividing  any 
given  formula  for  both  dyes  and  mordants,  and  increas- 
ing the  proportion  of  any  particular  color  desired.  If 
the  cloth  should  fail  to  take  up  the  dye  properly  after 
boiling  the  full  time,  increase  the  quantity  of  acid,  lift- 
ing the  cloth  out  when  adding  the  acid  to  the  dye 
bath. 


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22Apr'49ft&ERtiBRARY  LOAN 


••• 


UNIV.  01- 


Z  8  ft 


CA.UF.,  BERK. 

LD  21-50m-l ' 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


